Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps

Description

Winner of the 2020 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity Each summer, tens of thousands of American Jews attend residential camps, where they may see Hebrew signs, sing and dance to Hebrew songs, and hear a camp-specific hybrid language register called Camp Hebraized English, as in: “Let’s hear some ruach (spirit) in this chadar ochel (dining hall)!” Using historical and sociolinguistic methods, this book explains how camp directors and staff came to infuse Hebrew in creative ways and how their rationales and practices have evolved from the early 20th century to today.  Some Jewish leaders worry that Camp Hebraized English impedes Hebrew acquisition, while others recognize its power to strengthen campers’ bonds with Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish people. Hebrew Infusion explores these conflicting ideologies, showing how hybrid language can serve a formative role in fostering religious, diasporic communities. The insightful analysis and engaging descriptions of camp life will appeal to anyone interested in language, education, or American Jewish culture. Cover Praise for Hebrew Infusion Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction PART I: Past 1. Hebrew Infusion in American Jewish Summer Camps, 1900–1990 2. Camp Massad in the Poconos and the Rise and Fall of Hebrew Immersion Camping 3. Camp Ramah: A Transition from Immersion to Infusion PART II: Present 4. A Flexible Signifier: Diversity in Hebrew Infusion and Ideology 5. The Building Blocks of Infusion 6. “Sign” Language: Visual Displays of Hebrew and Jewish Space 7. Bringing Israel to Camp: Israeli Emissaries and Hebrew 8. Conflicting Ideologies of Hebrew Use Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes References Index About the Authors