Hebrew Language Day (יום השפה העברית) is an Israeli national holiday that will take place on the 21st of Tevet, or January 21. At CJDS, we're celebrating all month long! To stir up some Hebrew fervor, during winter break students were challenged to look for Hebrew in the world around them, whether on at home or while on vacation.

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, known as the "Father of Modern Hebrew" played a pivotal role in reviving Hebrew as a spoken language, turning it from a language used mainly for prayer and study into one spoken in daily life. Ben-Yehuda also created many new words in Hebrew and worked to unify Jewish communities around a shared language. The main hallway "Sha'ar CJDS," decorated by Shinshinim Uri and Achinoam, serves as a wonderful visual for students to see examples of words that Ben-Yehuda invented in Hebrew.

Throughout the week, Uri and Achinoam visited classes to play games and lead activities with students that highlight the amazing work of Ben-Yehuda while learning about the new words he created and the ways in which they are still used today. They created a video featuring Eliezer Ben-Yehuda himself, encouraging students to embark on a scavenger hunt around school for the hidden words. Each class received a list of the words and instructions, and they searched throughout the week for the 21 Hebrew words—all invented by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. Todah rabah to Uri and Achinoam for bringing the Hebrew language to life and fostering love and excitement for it as well!