Multilingual Israel? by Iair G Or

Multilingual Israel? by Iair G Or

Engages directly with the delicate intersections between homogenizing state policies and the extraordinary linguistic diversity on the ground.

This book provides the most comprehensive overview to date of multilingualism in Israel, spanning Hebrew-only ideologies, immigrant and heritage languages, and grassroots community initiatives. The first section ('Ideologies') examines the persistence of monolingual Hebrew language ideologies and state efforts to regulate Yiddish, Arabic and other languages, and how such efforts have been contested in domains such as cinema, theatre, the printed press and digital media.

The second section ('Realities') explores the resilience of community languages, from Amharic and Russian to Chinese, Ladino and local sign languages, and demonstrates how community resilience and linguistic practices often prove stronger than official ideologies or state policy.

By situating multilingual practices within current political tensions, migration debates and language ideologies, the book offers essential insights for scholars, students and those interested in sociolinguistics, language policy and the complexities of Israeli society.

An incisive tribute to Bernard Spolsky’s unparalleled legacy, Multilingual Israel is a brilliant contribution to the different aspects of multilingualism research he spent a lifetime studying and shapingBold, timely, and deeply insightful, this volume advances the critical conversations Spolsky championed. An essential reading for anyone interested in multilingualism, identity, and politics. * Tommaso M. Milani, Penn State, USA *

More than 25 years after Spolsky and Shohamy’s book on multilingualism in Israel, this volume is far more than an update. It challenges the pursuit by some of uniformity, monolingualism, monoculturalism, nationalism, or extremism. The wide range of contributions and the multiple foci provide a compelling illustration of how, in Israel and beyond, multilingual policy and practice are shaped by the dynamics of globalization and mobility. This book implicitly and explicitly advocates a multilingual, multicultural, democratic, and internationally oriented society.

* Piet Van Avermaet, University of Ghent, Belgium *

Iair G. Or is a Lecturer at Kibbutzim College of Education and Tel Aviv University, Israel. His research interests include the instruction and language planning of Hebrew and Arabic in Israel, as well as minority language communities.

Elana Shohamy is Professor in Tel Aviv University School of Education and The Lowy International School, Israel. She is the author of many books, most recently Developing Multilingual Education Policies (co-authored with Michal Tannenbaum, Routledge, 2023).

Bernard Spolsky (1932-2022) was a Professor of English at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. His authored works include The Languages of Israel: Policy, Ideology and Practice (1999, with Elana Shohamy, Multilingual Matters) and Rethinking Language Policy (Edinburgh University Press, 2021).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781788929097
ISBN 10	1788929098
Title	Multilingual Israel?
Author	Iair G Or
Series	Multilingual Matters
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Multilingual Matters
Year published	2026-06-16
Number of pages	318
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.