This cry of Hebrew all day long is a cheer from Maccabiah, which takes place at the end of the summer. During Maccabiah the team that speaks the most Hebrew daily receives the Hebrew flag (degel ivri) which is worth points. Camp Yavneh was begun 70 years ago as a Hebrew speaking camp. Now we describe the camp as a place where Hebrew is spoken. You can hear Hebrew in our announcements, referring to buildings, basic Hebrew in the bunks and of course singing in Hebrew and in prayer. Once to twice a week we have an inclusive Hebrew speaking table where the kids are rewarded for using the Hebrew that they know but are also willing to learn. A Hebrew school teacher from Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts once said that she can always tell which kids went to Camp Yavneh by how much their Hebrew was enriched over the summer. This usage of Hebrew is not just to teach our campers how to speak Hebrew but also so they feel a comfort in hearing the language and being proud of the language of their Jewish homeland.
March 05, 2015
