The Hindu online edition of India's National
Newspaper Monday, Aug 16, 2004
Metro Plus Vijayawada
South
India
In quest of divinity:
A
linguist with a difference, Shmuel Yacobi has set on a
unique sojourn to restore the lost sheen of Hebrew
language, says MUBIN SULTAN.
Yacobi interacting
with Jews at Machilipatnam `NOW FAITH is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,'-Hebrew.
Hebrew, the oldest language used by the earliest
theologians is almost extinct now. Determined to restore
the lost sheen of the language and present it before people
alien to it is Shmuel Yacobi, the founder and president of
the Hebrew Open University that offers certificate courses
in Hebrew language and Bible courses.
It is also the
only university in the country that offers an honorary
Doctorate of Divinity in recognition of the genuine efforts
by members of the Church. Yacobi obtained his Masters
degrees in theology, divinity and the Hebrew language from
The Council of the Eastern Jewry. He is currently running
Hebrew-coaching centres in Vijayawada, Guntur and
Machilipatnam and has a wide range of students from all
backgrounds, belonging to diverse faiths. Most of them are
enthusiastic linguists and members of the
church.
Hebrew is the language of the Semites and
was first used as the medium to write the Bible. Shmuel
believes that it is thus, important to learn Hebrew to know
the original text. His several trips to Israel and the
United States of America were aimed at mastering the
language and helping Indians learn it too. His son,
Yehoshua, now a citizen of Israel, has decided to follow
suit and is busy getting acquainted with the nitty-gritty
of Hebrew.
Taking advantage of the revolution in
information and technology, Shmuel and his sons decided to
offer Hebrew as a correspondence course through Internet
and the move drew positive response from many across the
world. "We offer material prepared by the best teachers of
Hebrew from various countries of the world," says this
globetrotter who keeps himself busy attending symposiums
and meets on
cultural, theological and literary affairs in
different parts of the world.
A regular visitor to
places like Rome, Tokyo, Thailand, Singapore, Korea,
Germany, and Paris to discuss the language and the Jewish
culture, Hebrew has apparently become a part of this
passionate teacher now. Known as an ancient city, which is
the centre of world religions and a hub of political
activity, for Shmuel, a stroll in the meandering streets of
Jerusalem is like flipping through the pages of the Bible.
His eyes light up when he talks about the city. "It's like
a second home to me."
The Internet helps him spend
time with his `students' counseling and helping them learn
Hebrew. Contrary to what history claims he believes that
the Telugu languages might have had a connecting link with
Hebrew. "Many words, which sound similar in both the
languages, mean the same. For example, the word `abba'
exists in Hebrew and Aramaic too and has a similar meaning
to that of the English `abba'.
Giving shape to his
urge for writing, he authored a book called `Cultural
Hermeneutics' revolving around the cultural and linguistic
similarities between the Jewish and the Andhraites. They
follow Jewish laws and values in their day-to-day life
while their eating habits are strictly guided by the Jewish
norms of food and kitchen--the `kosher'. Friends in Israel
who often visit his coaching centre at Machilipatnam
encourage the family.
Shmuel admires Telugu and his
fascination for the `Italian of the East' brought to fore
the poet in him. His wife, Jhansi Rani, is the National
Director of the Hebrew Open University. All his sons are
involved in teaching Hebrew helping their father's endeavor
to popularize the language. "Interestingly, most of the
foreign languages likian, French and German sound
close to something like Hebrew," he says with excitement
writ large on his face.
The Cultural Hermeneutics
describes how the Hebrew Tanach had culturally translated
into diverse cultures when the 10 tribes came out from
Israel and scattered among the nations. The Hebrew stories
of Abraham, Itshaq and Israel were deified in the Aryan
culture and became the stories of Brahma, Vishnu and
Isvara. This cultural translation is different from the
cultural assimilations. The Hebrews never assimilated among
the nations to the extent to lose their separate existence
like the other ancient people groups. They were called the
Hebrews first. Then they were called Israelites. Then they
were called the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel
. This is the time for the world Jewry to form
Eretz Ephraim for the Diaspora Communities and help bring
real peace in the Middle East. This is the time for the
world Jewry to bring all the lost Hebrew cultural aspects
back to Eretz Ephraim.
Nobody can claim as the lost
tribe of Israel unless they have a Community. That
community might have certain cultural relics of the 10
tribes of the kingdom of Israel. The researchers have to
start clicking the cultural translations buttons back. For
example: In Andhra Pradesh there are so many rock cut
tombs. The Aryans and the aryanized Hindus cremate their
dead and never bury the dead. Today the Bene Ephraim
communities bury the dead in spite of all the cultural,
religious and political pressures. How did they keep that
custom since ages past?