The Politics of Language Choice in Haredi Communities in Israel

Abstract

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Israel, this article explores the politics of language choice as a part of the negotiation of Haredi identity. Yiddish choice can be a subtle resistance to the Zionist project, of which Israeli Hebrew is a part. Certain Hasidic groups, and some very strict Lithuanian Haredi Jews, speak Yiddish, while others have adopted Israeli Hebrew. These choices illuminate ideologies of these groups, attitudes towards the State, and the levels of the community’s and individual’s civic-mindedness. Haredi attitudes towards the State exist on a spectrum, which may or may not correlate to the community’s language choice. Instead, language choice illuminates how Haredi individuals negotiate their minority identity and their relationship with the State and Zionist ideology. Language choice clarifies how internal divisions are negotiated, identities are formed and reformed, and how these choices impact the Haredi world’s interaction with the State of Israel.

Religious Journalists’ Ethics on Communicating Science: The Case of Ultra-Orthodox Reportage in Israel

“…Haredim aim to limit meaningful interactions with those who do not share their religious beliefs (Stolzenberg and Myers 2022). Hence, they distinguish themselves physically, linguistically, through distinctive dress codes, and selective media use, making assimilation into non-Haredi environments highly challenging (Baumel 2006;Brown 2017;Heilman 1992;Mishol-Shauli et al 2019;Munro 2022;Tavory 2016).…”

“…Devout Sephardi communities consist of Israelis from North Africa, the Middle East, and the Iberian Peninsula. These communities in Israel have largely adopted the practices of Lithuanian Haredim but retained their ethnic distinctiveness (Kasstan 2021;Lupu 2004;Munro 2022). More nuanced categorizations among Israeli Haredim highlight further distinctions to include baalei tshuva (returnees), as well as subsections within Breslov and Chabad Hassidic courts that deviate in theology and practices from typical Hassidic courts (Cahaner 2020;Sands 2009).…”

Introduction: Thematic Issue on Contemporary Haredi Yiddish Worldwide

“…It is hoped that the four articles comprising this issue will help to shed more light on the richness, nuance, and diversity of Haredi Yiddish and stimulate further interest in this dynamic area of contemporary Jewish language scholarship. Heather Munro's article (Munro 2022) investigates the relationship between the Yiddish language and ethnoreligious identity among Haredi women in Israel from an anthropological perspective. The article contains a detailed history of the politics of Yiddish and Modern (Israeli) Hebrew in Israeli Haredi communities, which provides a helpful framework for those seeking a clearer understanding of the complex and only partially researched relationship between the two languages in this setting.…”

Between Secularity and Ultra-Orthodoxy: The Cultural Conflict between Hilonim and Haredim and Its Impact on Israel’s Cultural Security

“…The identity of the various sectoral groups in Israel has received relatively considerable attention from Israeli -and non-Israeli -scholars in the social sciences and humanities, and for this reason, the issue is relatively well described (Kosiorek, 2022;Picard, 2017). Considerable attention has also been paid to the Orthodox population living in the Diaspora (Don-Yehiya, 2005) and Israel (Munro, 2021(Munro, , 2022. In addition to strictly identity issues, issues concerning the rights and obligations of Haredim in critical areas of social life are also addressed.…”