Paper Discussion: Linguistics of Cultural Exclusion
"What’s a stigmatised variant doing in the word list? Authenticity in reading styles and Hebrew pharyngeals."
This paper looks at the two pharyngeal sounds in Hebrew [ʕ] and ["h ], also known as ע and ח in Hebrew or as ع and ح in Arabic. These pharyngeals are commonly associated with Jews of Middle-Eastern descent (Mizrahis), and despite them being the prescriptively correct way of speaking Hebrew, they are socially stigmatized in Israeli society. This paper takes data from sociolinguistic interviews in Israel and looks at the way Mizrahi and Ashkenazi (Jews of European descent) participants pronounce words with these sounds in casual conversation compared to reading from a list. The researcher argues that, although pronouncing the pharyngeal [ʕ] in Hebrew carries a negative social evaluation, it can be seen as an expression of Mizrahi identity.
This paper looks at the two pharyngeal sounds in Hebrew [ʕ] and ["h ], also known as ע and ח in Hebrew or as ع and ح in Arabic. These pharyngeals are commonly associated with Jews of Middle-Eastern descent (Mizrahis), and despite them being the prescriptively correct way of speaking Hebrew, they are socially stigmatized in Israeli society. This paper takes data from sociolinguistic interviews in Israel and looks at the way Mizrahi and Ashkenazi (Jews of European descent) participants pronounce words with these sounds in casual conversation compared to reading from a list. The researcher argues that, although pronouncing the pharyngeal [ʕ] in Hebrew carries a negative social evaluation, it can be seen as an expression of Mizrahi identity.
Webinar with Mira Awad & Exclusive Screening of 'Muna'
For our second Webinar, we are joined by the renowned musician, actress, TV content creator and activist Mira Awad for an exclusive screening of an episode of her series “Muna”.
Mira Awad became recognised worldwide through her participation in the 2009 Eurovision Song Context alongside Achinoam Nini, with their collaboration later garnering them the NIF Human Rights for Arts and Culture award 2010. She has published several successful albums, including “Write Down”, which transformed the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish into music, and was used as the soundtrack for a documentary film about him by that name.
Recently, she has created the series “Muna”, which was highly acclaimed as “one of the most important events in the life of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation since its establishment” (Yedioth Ahronot). The series focuses on the fictional photographer Muna Aboud as she navigates her Palestinian-Israeli identity and life in Tel Aviv in the midst of a war.
We screened an exclusive version of the third episode of the series with English subtitles before engaging in a discussion with Mira about her “artivism” and the personal circumstances that led her to create “Muna”. We invited participants to raise questions, and discussed a range of themes from the identity of the Palestinian minority in Israel to intersectional feminism.
For our second Webinar, we are joined by the renowned musician, actress, TV content creator and activist Mira Awad for an exclusive screening of an episode of her series “Muna”.
Mira Awad became recognised worldwide through her participation in the 2009 Eurovision Song Context alongside Achinoam Nini, with their collaboration later garnering them the NIF Human Rights for Arts and Culture award 2010. She has published several successful albums, including “Write Down”, which transformed the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish into music, and was used as the soundtrack for a documentary film about him by that name.
Recently, she has created the series “Muna”, which was highly acclaimed as “one of the most important events in the life of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation since its establishment” (Yedioth Ahronot). The series focuses on the fictional photographer Muna Aboud as she navigates her Palestinian-Israeli identity and life in Tel Aviv in the midst of a war.
We screened an exclusive version of the third episode of the series with English subtitles before engaging in a discussion with Mira about her “artivism” and the personal circumstances that led her to create “Muna”. We invited participants to raise questions, and discussed a range of themes from the identity of the Palestinian minority in Israel to intersectional feminism.
Webinar with Oxfam International: COVID 19 & The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
For our first-ever webinar, we were joined by a Senior Officer of the Gazan branch of Oxfam International. In order to shed a light on the risks Covid-19 poses to an already struggling region, the Officer drew on her professional experience leading humanitarian work with various NGOs. Moreover, she shared her personal experiences as a refugee growing up in Gaza, and discussed how she believes such personal narratives can be reclaimed. The Senior Officer has decided to stay anonymous due to security considerations in the Gaza Strip.
Her talk was followed by an engaging Q&A Session that touched on themes from the blockade to normalisation, to the limits set on her humanitarian work by the policies of Hamas and Israel.
Her talk was followed by an engaging Q&A Session that touched on themes from the blockade to normalisation, to the limits set on her humanitarian work by the policies of Hamas and Israel.