‘Tell Me What You Speak and I'll Tell You …’: Exploring Attitudes to Languages in the Ultra-Orthodox Community in Israel

Abstract

This article reports on a study focusing on Israel's Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews) community, exploring its members' perceptions of Hebrew, Yiddish and English in terms of the language's importance, usage, holiness and related emotions. Questionnaires were distributed to 180 participants from five prominent subgroups within the community. Analysis revealed significant differences in the participants' attitudes towards the three languages, showing preference for Hebrew and Yiddish above English in all dimensions explored. Differences between subgroups correlated with their stance towards the Israeli majority and vis-à-vis one another Á the greater the level of segregation, the more negative their attitudes towards English and the more positive their attitudes towards Yiddish, with Hebrew somewhere in between for most groups. These findings reflect the community's attempts to build symbolic fences to sustain and foster segregation on the one hand, and their bonding with the historical heritage on the other. Gender differences also emerged with women, who function as change agents far more often, showing more favourable attitudes towards Hebrew and English than men. In sum, attitudes towards languages emerged as an interesting lens from which to learn about broader ideological world views, reflecting the tension and conflict between the inner community world view and the surrounding world.Ultra-Orthodox Jews adhere to a way of life characterised by meticulous observance of religious commandments, extending to religious studies, prayer, food laws, family rituals, welfare activities and the like. Community members endorse voluntary segregation from other Orthodox or secular Jews in their residence patterns (separate neighbourhoods, and at times separate settlements; see more in Valins, 2003), their dress code (specific attire and insistence on extreme modesty for women), traditions and education. Haredi communities also tend to develop extensive networks of internal support catering to their members' welfare and educational needs, which facilitate their voluntary segregation.Haredi children are educated in a separate system with a unique curriculum and teachers who are exclusively community members. These