Rather than spending the night on the threshing floor, as Boaz does in the Book of Ruth, Jews today spend the night of Shavuot studying Torah. This Shavuot, studying Torah may not be enough. We should use z'man matan torateinu to rededicate ourselves to the task of eradicating Jewish illiteracy here and throughout the diaspora. Many even pray in English. Since those words sound so much like the prayers of others, gone are the sense of holiness and the notion of difference that Hebrew inspires.
Translated prayer becomes yet another vehicle for assimilation.
Unless Jews in the United States can perpetuate their own language, their access to the past and their bond to Israel will be severely limited. They will never be able to appreciate fully what it means to be Jewish. A living knowledge of Hebrew is vital for both Jewish continuity and cohesion. Home Browse Talk Shop Sign Up Search Courses Receive the JTS Torah commentary and Shabbat candlelighting times sent to you weekly by e-mail. Click here to sign up for free membership.