Ruach in the Chadar Ochel: Language at American Jewish Summer Camps
Channel: Jewish Language Project
Date: 12/12/2022

Sarah Bunin Benor, Jonathan Krasner, and Sharon Avni

At most American Jewish summer camps, programs are conducted primarily in English, but the environment is infused with Hebrew signs, songs, and cheers. Hebrew-English sentences are common: “Madrichim [counselors], please bring your chanichim [campers] to the teatron [theater] immediately after the Birkat [Grace After Meals].” Why do some camps infuse Hebrew in these unusual ways? How are other languages used, including Russian, Yiddish, and Ladino? How do participants feel about this language mixing? This talk draws from Benor, Krasner, and Avni’s forthcoming book, Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps, based on over 200 interviews and visits to 36 camps.

Co-sponsored by JewishLive and the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University.

Date of event: May 7, 2020