Hebrew as a Treasure of Human Heritage: Past, Present and Future

B’nai B’rith International, a 179-year-old Jewish communal, humanitarian and social action organization, in partnership with UNESCO will host a Symposium on 15 November 2022 aimed at contributing to the ongoing global discussions on the importance of languages for the creation of peaceful, open, inclusive, and resilient societies.

The forthcoming symposium will also mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Ben-Yehuda, the lexicographer and newspaper editor who led the rebirth of the Hebrew language as the primary spoken and written national language of Israel.

The Symposium will analyze different aspects of the history of the Hebrew language and raise awareness about the importance of normative instruments and recommendations such as the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace (2003) to assure resilient and multilingual societies.

The session will also draw lessons from the case of the Hebrew language and its revitalization so as to inform the implementation of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL2022-2032). Capacity building and partnership initiatives aimed at revitalizing the Hebrew language can be adapted and duplicated for the protection, revitalization and promotion of Indigenous languages around the world.