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Academy of the Hebrew Language

Freed hostage David Cunio reunites with his twin daughters Emma and Yuli, both also former hostages freed in November 2023, at Sheba Medical Center, October 13, 2025. (Shauli Lendner/GPO)
January 9, 2026, 9:12 am
Israelis pick ‘homecoming’ as Hebrew word of the year
In annual vote celebrating Hebrew Language Day, ‘habaita’ is public’s favorite, after return of all living hostages and all but one of the deceased
By ToI Staff
Doron Levy, head of the Department for Israeli Sign Language at the Academy of the Hebrew Language, holding a poster explaining the basic signs of Israeli Sign Language on March 24, 2025. (Rossella Tercatin/Times of Israel)
May 1, 2025, 2:13 pm
For hearing-impaired, recognition of Israeli Sign Language speaks volumes
Academy of the Hebrew Language’s establishment of Department of Israeli Sign Language seen as major move promoting development and codification of unique system of communication
By Rossella Tercatin
A boy looks at shipping containers in Haifa's port , Israel, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
April 15, 2025, 2:03 pm
Daily Briefing Apr. 15: Day 557 – Tariffs, a tech brain drain and manna from Sicily
Tech editor Sharon Wrobel discusses US tariffs and the war’s effect on the tech industry; archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin reviews the evolution of Hebrew accents, plus manna in Italy
By Jessica Steinberg, Sharon Wrobel and Rossella Tercatin
Dr. Doron Yaakov, head of the Jewish Oral Traditions collection at the Academy of Hebrew Language and researcher at the Historical Dictionary Project, at the Cultural and Educational Center on March 24, 2025. (Rossella Tercatin/Times of Israel)
April 15, 2025, 7:18 am
Research center works to save myriad Hebrew dialects shaped by millennia of wandering
Israel’s Academy of the Hebrew Language has been preserving a treasure trove of accents and pronunciations that are swiftly becoming lost by its own work to standardize language
By Rossella Tercatin
Ariel Bibas and the butterfly named after him. (avstraliavasin via iStock/Courtesy)
April 4, 2025, 3:20 pm
Butterfly renamed in honor of murdered hostage Ariel Bibas
Orange Jerusalem renamed Orange Ariel, evoking an alternate biblical name for the capital and the vivid color of the slain 4-year-old’s hair
By Michael Horovitz
Illustrative: People walk next to pictures of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Jerusalem, January 12, 2025 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
January 21, 2025, 4:19 pm
Israelis choose ‘hostages’ as Academy of the Hebrew Language’s word of 2024
Word ‘hatufim’ revealed to mark Hebrew Language Day, beating Hebrew words for ‘heroism,’ ‘approved for publication’ — which precedes IDF death announcements — by thousands of votes
By ToI Staff
The building of the Academy of the Hebrew Language in Jerusalem. (Public domain/Wikipedia)
May 4, 2023, 6:33 pm
Hebrew Academy debuts new words, including term for ‘gaslighting’
Windiness, space launch vehicles, tandem bikes, and targeted advertising among terms to receive fresh translations
By Michael Horovitz
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount, January 3, 2023. (Courtesy Minhelet Har Habayit)
January 3, 2023, 1:58 pm
Daily Briefing Jan. 3: What is Minister Ben Gvir signaling with Temple Mount visit?
David Horovitz and Haviv Rettig Gur mark two years of the daily podcast with a rousing discussion of the new government and ultra-Orthodox demographics. Bonus: Hebrew word of 2022
By ToI Staff
Police at the site of a sinkhole on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv on September 17, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
December 27, 2022, 2:23 pm
Hebrew Academy picks ‘sinkhole’ as its word of 2022
Selected by online voters, word narrowly beats out ‘governance’ and ‘hallucination’ to take the top spot
By Amy Spiro
Israelis attend the annual Hebrew Book Week, Rabin Square, Tel Aviv on June 12, 2019. (Flash90)
From the WebAugust 1, 2022, 10:30 pm
Israeli activists battle the deeply gendered roots of the Hebrew language
The New York Times reports on efforts by some to create gender-neutral options in Hebrew, while others push back — and the Academy of the Hebrew Language is caught in the middle
Museum visitors look at a sculpture made of sand of the 'Tower of Babel,' during the exhibit 'Tales in the Sand' at the Eretz Israel Museum several years ago (Nati Shohat/Flash 90)
June 23, 2022, 4:21 am
For Israel’s language czar, reviving Hebrew means bringing it down from the tower
Moshe Bar-Asher has brought the Academy of the Hebrew Language to the street with popular input and viral campaigns. But plans for a new home to crown his vision remain unrealized
By Tal Schneider
Illustrative image: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Israeli Minister of Internal Affairs Ayelet Shaked attend the Jewish Maroccan celebration of Mimuna, in Moshav Shilat, April 23, 2022. (Flash90)
June 13, 2022, 2:22 pm
Daily Briefing Jun 13: Mazel tov! Coalition a year old; why Israel hit Syria airport
Political correspondent Tal Schneider discusses her interview with New Hope head Gideon Sa’ar; military correspondent Emanuel Fabian on Israel’s chances in an emergency
By ToI Staff
FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, left, shakes hands with president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then crown prince of Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 13, 2021. (Haim Zach/Israel Government Press Office via AP, File)
May 31, 2022, 1:58 pm
Daily Briefing May 31: UAE & Israel sign free trade agreement; more Knesset chaos
Political correspondent Tal Schneider on the opposition’s united bloc; senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur on why teachers are striking for the wrong reason
By ToI Staff
Left: Defense Minister Benny Gantz. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File); Right: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool, File)
December 29, 2021, 2:19 pm
Daily Briefing Dec. 29 – Gantz invites Abbas over; ‘lunacy’ is Hebrew word of 2021
Palestinian Affairs correspondent Aaron Boxerman examines the unexpected summit, while Hebrew sister site Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren sounds off on ‘tirlul’
By ToI Staff
A girl is entertained by clowns as she waits in the control room after being injected with a dose of the Soberana-02 vaccine for COVID-19 in Havana, Cuba, August 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
December 23, 2021, 2:08 pm
Academy of the Hebrew Language picks ‘lunacy’ as its word of 2021
After thousands of online votes, word beats out ‘vaccine,’ ‘mutation’ and ‘booster’ for top spot
By ToI Staff
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