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That way, for example, instead of: Matay bata (When did you come)? We

said: Mossay Bosso? Instead of Magevet (Towel) we said: Alontis. The
library we referred to in a Russian word: Bibliotko. And another few

words that sound funny to you. Imagine how much the children of Bet-
Gan laughed when they heard this type of Hebrew. However, their
language was funny, too. In the Galil they spoke with a special dialect.

They would emphasize the dagesh: the flies fly around the tomatoes -
that's how people in Israel would mock the Galil dialect. Despite the

weird Hebrew, we were assimilated, we the "Olim Khadashim”' very
quickly. I told you: Ever since my childhood we saw our home here, in
Zion, in Jerusalem, and Russia was merely a temporary stop for us”.

(Source: "Really?", Yemima Avidar-Tschernovich, Po'alim Library,
1978)

The Hebrew of the beginning of the century might have sounded a little
funny, perhaps a little complicated, but it was finally heard. And this is a
miracle that happened to the Hebrew language. A miracle no other

language ever (accomplished) got. All around the world there was no
other "dead language" which was successfully revived and put back into

daily use.

Summary

After 1,700 years where no one spoke Hebrew, the Hebrew came back to
life.

This happened over a hundred years ago. Thanks to Eliezer Ben Yehuda
and others, who struggled for the reviving of the Hebrew language. They

renewed words that were missing in Hebrew, published dictionaries and
news papers, and especially fought for the return of the Hebrew language
to the daily use.

And so, 100 years ago, the Hebrew language embarked onto a new era.
The new language. The Hebrew we speak today, the Hebrew of our days,

is a part of this time.

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