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From: trb@masscomp.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Fence around the Torah
Message-ID: <204@masscomp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Mar-84 13:48:20 EST
Article-I.D.: masscomp.204
Posted: Thu Mar  1 13:48:20 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 07:20:56 EST
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Organization: MASSCOMP, Littleton, MA
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Ariel's note brought up some interesting little points:

	With respect to Hebrew... Hebrew is the language of Israel, so
	you speak it as they speak it in Israel ... like Sephardic.  In
	fact, Ashkenaz Jews in Israel speak modern (Sephardic brand)
	Hebrew everyday, and pray in Ashkenaz.

Usually, Hebrew is called the language of the Torah.  The fact that the
folks in Israel these days speak Hebrew with a certain set of rules is
not (I think) sufficient grounds for her first conclusion.  Note that
until the recent independance of Israel, Hebrew was a scholarly
language, just like Latin.  Jews never spoke Hebrew as a household
language, always using a local language, or some warped form of it.
The modern (last 200 years) languages of the common Jew are Yiddish
(Eastern European Ashkenazim) and Ladino (Spanish Sephardim).  Through
history, Jews have spoken bastardized forms of Greek, Roman, and
Aramaic languages, as well as, I'm sure, many others.

I'm of Eastern European (Northern NYC) origin, that is, Ashkenazi.  My
mom is emmigrating to Israel this year, and she knows very little
Hebrew, so she is in the process of learning.  She is learning the
Sephardi method of pronunciation, because that's what she'll use to
live.  There is no question about "right and wrong," therefore there is
no answer.

Sephardic Hebrew is considered the modern way, it's sort of akin to the
differences in the way Spanish is spoken: the old fashioned way in
Spain, and a more modern way in the Americas.

Realize that Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and the various sects of Chasidim
practice the same Judaism 99 44/100 percent.  When Ariel talks about
"praying in Ashkenaz," it is true that there are slight differences in
the order of the prayer (called the "nusach," should you ever run
across the term), but all the important stuff same for all Jews.  And
the Torah is exactly the same for all Jews.  There are no denominational
differences as radical as the ones in Christianity.

	Andy Tannenbaum   Masscomp Inc  Westford MA   (617) 692-6200 x274

For all the people who want to know what part of hymietown I'm from, I
grew up in the Bronx: Pelham Parkway and eventually Riverdale (azoy!).
Went to Salanter Yeshiva.