Re: Hebrew Pronounciation
Elisheva Schwartz (yivo5@metgate.metro.org)
Wed, 29 Oct 1997 09:33:14 -0500
I must take exception to Avrohom Mondrovitz's contention that modern
"separdic" Hebrew (ie. the way Israelis speak) is the closest to real
Lashon Kodesh (Biblical Hebrew). Israeli Hebrew is, at best, a distant
cousin of either true sephardic Hebrew (as spoken by first generation Edot
ha-mizrach immigrants to Israel) or Yemenite Hebrew (which has a music all
its own). What Israeli makes a distinction between aleph and ayin? Kaf and
kuf? Tet and tav? Gimmel and Jimmel? Sin and samech? Vet and vav? You will
hear all of these in Yemenite Hebrew. (Oh yes, and also kamatz vs. patach,
and even Taf and what Ashkenazim call Saf. Note that Ashkenazis does
retain this, while Israeli Hebrew does not). As better (and Israeli)
linguists have said, modern Israeli Hebrew is the worst of both worlds.
Now, I say this as a fluent speaker of Israeli Hebrew. I adore the
language. But it is not, by any stretch of the imagination, Lashon Kodesh!
And as an Ashkenzia, I daven in Ashkenazis, which is my masoret (tradition).
Elisheva Schwartz