We are proud to present our readers with volume 13 of our series Studies in Jewish Education . This volume is concerned with the possibility of "translating" insights derived from areas of knowledge sometimes thought to be outside the purview of education – to issues and problems on the agenda of educational thinkers, researchers and practitioners. As we have learned from our teachers, Prof. Seymour Fox, of blessed memory, and Prof. Michael Rosenak (may he be granted many more years of prolific creativity) – "translating" from philosophical systems or lead concepts, from principles deriving from the tradition of Jewish thought, or from cultural visions – to educational thought and practice, is a most complex matter. Some prefer to work in the "normative" mode, wherein normative world views are "translated" from fundamental philosophical "principles" to educational " ideals ," "goals" and "means." In the transition from one category to the next, however, certain terms must necessarily be modified or reinterpreted. This process is both enriching and impoverishing – as certain understandings are inevitably "lost" in translation even as other insights are gained. Others prefer to work in the "deliberative" mode, beginning from symptoms of malaise emanating from the field of educational practice, accessing world-views and disciplines of knowledge in order to arrive at an informed formulation of the "problem," then generating alternative solutions to the "problem" – alternatives from among which some will be chosen for implementation and others, perhaps just as promising, will have to be discarded or shelved. For those who feel more at home in this mode – worldviews, concepts, disciplines and cultural visions do not function as overarching norms, but rather as "resources," drawn upon to the degree that they are seen to address problems as experienced by those affected by them. As if this were not complex enough, Prof. Rosenak has reminded us that neither mode – normative or deliberative – is, or should be sufficient in itself. On the one hand, normative discourse that does not also have its "ears to the ground," picking up on current educational problems and addressing them in terms intelligible to those who suffer from them, will end up being sterile and hortatory. Deliberative discourse, on the other hand, is always anchored in normative assumptions, without which one could not articulate what it is about the "problem" that is "problematic," or in need of amelioration. According to Rosenak, there must be a constant, dialectical interaction between the normative and deliberative modes if educational issues are to be addressed both honestly and intelligently.

This collection deals with syntactic and semantic phenomena of the Hebrew language within the framework of theoretical linguistics. Most articles are within Noam Chomsky's framework of Generative Grammar and theories within formal semantics. The contributions are written by linguists specializing in theoretical linguistics and familiar with the Hebrew language and its uniqueness among the world's languages. The introductory chapter outlines in general terms the state of the art concerning the study of Hebrew in Israel, and highlights the significance of the theoretical approach in enriching the discourse on Hebrew linguistics as well as enabling easier access to theoretical studies. The introductory chapter is followed by two chapters describing and explaining the theoretical approach, illustrating the explanations from Hebrew. The next eleven chapters were chosen to deal with specific phenomena that are crucial in understanding the structure of Hebrew, on the one hand, and shedding light on the contribution of Hebrew to the general theory on the other hand: the verbal system, notably the binyanim; the marker et; and some issues concerning the tense system; the noun system; pronouns; adverbs; and prepositions. The last two chapters of the volume are each dedicated to a subfield of linguistics: language acquisition and neurolinguistics, respectively. One discusses two phenomena concerning Hebrew acquisition, and the other discusses the syntactic impairment in agrammatic aphasia phenomenon in Hebrew speakers. It is the only collection of its kind aimed at opening a channel of interaction between Hebraists interested in expanding the discourse on Hebrew and theoretical linguists interested in Hebrew.

Language Studies 11-12 is dedicated to Prof. Avi Hurvitz, who has taught for over four decades in the Depts. of Bible and Hebrew Language at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Many of his scholarly contributions have become classics of research. Twenty-four friends, colleagues, and former students have contributed articles on linguistic aspects of topics relevant to Hurvitz’s academic career: Hebrew of the First Temple Period, Hebrew and Aramaic of the Second Temple Period, language borrowings, dating of biblical texts, wisdom literature, Akkadian, and Ugaritic.

This volume of essays is the first collection of scholarly studies on the Yiddish theatre to appear in English. Drawing on a variety of academic disciplines, it considers the dramatic and musical repertoire of Yiddish theatre and their historical development, popular and critical reception of productions, and the practice and consequences of state censorship. The time-span covered is broad—from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century—as is the geographical range: Cracow, London, Moscow, New York, St Petersburg, Vienna, and Warsaw. The Yiddish Theatre not only presents a comprehensive study of the field but also helps illustrate the significance of the Yiddish theatre as a vital form of expression in the Jewish world. Yiddish drama and theatre has had an enormous capacity to entertain audiences on six continents, while at the same time highlighting social, political, religious, and economic concerns of vital interest to the Jewish people. The Yiddish Theatre is a valuable resource for scholars, university students, and general readers interested both in Yiddish theatre specifically and related fields such as Jewish literature and culture, east European history and culture, and European and American theatre. The book contains the most comprehensive bibliography to date of sources relating to the Yiddish theatre. Contributors Ahuva Belkin, Joel Berkowitz, Paola Bertolone, Miroslawa M. Bulat, Brigitte Dalinger, Barbara Henry, John Klier, David Mazower, Leonard Prager, Nahma Sandrow, Nina Warnke, Seth L. Wolitz

The collection of articles in 'The Hebrew Language in the Era of Globalization' is designed for researchers and teachers of Hebrew in Educational frameworks, and allows for a comprehensive study of varied aspects of the Hebrew language. The volume brings to center stage research issues regarding Hebrew in its cultural, social, and linguistic contexts; discusses the state of Hebrew in Israel and in the world; and looks into current curricula for the teaching of Hebrew as a Second Language. The volume is unique in that it combines theory and practice; deals with Hebrew as a first, second, and heritage language; and relates to learners of different ages and from a number of different populations – native speakers of Hebrew, the Arab sector in Israel, and Jewish communities in the Diaspora. The volume is comprised of three sections. The first section covers the following topics: The state of Hebrew in the context of Israel-Diaspora relations; Hebrew in European and American universities; the dilemma of the language of prayer; challenges confronting the modern reader of a classical text; linguistic and socio-linguistic trends in modern Hebrew; achievements of new immigrant students in academic Hebrew; the theoretical basis for the development of curricula for the teaching of Hebrew as a first and second language; and a model for a language policy in a multilingual and multi-cultural society such as Israel. The second section presents the new curriculum for learners of Hebrew in the Arab sector as well as curricula for the teaching of Hebrew in the Diaspora for kindergarten children, elementary school students and junior-high and high school students. The third section expresses concern about the future of Hebrew both in Israel and in the Diaspora in the era of globalization.

Hebrew from Scratch is also known as 'Ivrit min hathahala'. It's a comprehensive textbook, grammar and exercise book for the beginner adult student. Widely used by high school and university students. The instructions for the exercises as well as the translations of the vocabulary lists are in English. Otherwise, the course is based on Hebrew-only instruction. One of the best, friendliest, Hebrew teaching books, this book immerses the student in Hebrew, but without overwhelming the English speaker who is trying to learn a language that is so very different than English. A guide for this book can be purchase separately. An audio CD with listening exercises organized to match the lessons in the book is available here

The third issue of Davka , the Hebrew Language magazine dedicated to exploring the Yiddish Culture, reveals the hidden love of Yiddish in the land of Israel. Starting with the exciting letters which a "Yiddishe Mama" sent to her son who was situated in Cairo, at the beginning of the 16th Century, these letters were in the Cairo Geniza and were uncoded by Professor Hana Torniaski.

The Kethib and Qeri forms, scattered here and there throughout the Biblical Text, combine here, like a mosaic, to form a complete picture and give one a comprehensive system of language. The book analyzes this linguistic system according to the manuscript Kether Aram Tsova, presenting the method of the most authoritative Masorite scholar Rabbi Aharon Ben-Asher. This systematic study examines the Biblical phenomenon of Kethib and Qeri interchanges by linguistic criteria. The book consists of an introduction summarizing the research on this topic, followed by four chapters. Chapter One: Orthography dealing with different orthographic realizations of words as הנער (K ) / הַנַּעֲרָה Q))Deut.22:15) ). Chapter Two: Morphology engages in morphological interchanges, as ואתי (K ) / וְאַתְּ (Q ) (Jud.17:2). Chapter Three: Syntax including various categories related to the syntax in particular the morpho-syntax like syntactic concord, as מגדיל (ישועות) (K ) / מִגְדּוֹל (ישועות) (Q)( Sam.22:512). Chapter Four: Lexicon and style dealing with interchanges of K/Q in the domain of lexicon and style as העיר(התיכונה)(K ) / חָצֵר(התיכונה)(Q)(Kings. 20:42 ). Finally, a general summary of discussions and conclusions. Additionally, statistical data that indicate the validity of the findings with respect to occurrences of Kethib and Qeri in the Biblic Text in general. The Kethib and Qeri System in the Biblical Text is an innovative linguistic analysis, which will be of great interest to scholars of Biblical language, Bible Exegesis and Masoretic Text.