A.B. Yehoshua asks why the label of a “Jewish state” so important, especially since “the combination ‘Jewish state’…sounds hostile and offensive to the non-Jewish citizens of the country.” What about just plain “Israel”? (Ha’aretz)
What exactly does the term “Jewish state” mean? Is there enough agreement on its meaning to make the term meaningful? (Forward)
The Bible is being translated into modern Hebrew. Is it exactly what’s needed? Or will it fracture Israeli society? (Jerusalem Post)
The Hebrew letter “yud” has so many different sounds associated with it that some standardization was needed when it’s used in transliteration. Thus for example, Maine is spelled ‘mem-yud-yud-nun’–which is also the same lettering as “mine.” The letters ‘mem-yud-yud-lamed’ spell “mail” (which means “e-mail” in Hebrew) and also “mile.” (Jerusalem Post)
