Meander with me . . .

Today is the birthday of Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda (January 7, 1858 – December 16, 1922), lexicographer and newspaper editor. He was principally responsible for the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language, whereas it had previously been a ceremonial language. He is oft referred to as the father of modern Hebrew.

". . . it was as if the heavens had suddenly opened, and a clear incandescent light flashed before my eyes, and a mighty inner voice sounded in my ears: the renascence of Israel on its ancestral soil.... the more the nationalist concept grew in me, the more I realized what a common language is to a nation . . ."
- Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda

"For everything there is needed only one wise, clever and active man, with the initiative to devote all his energies to it, and the matter will progress, all obstacles in the way notwithstanding . . . In every new event, every step, even the smallest in the path of progress, it is necessary that there be one pioneer who will lead the way without leaving any possibility of turning back."
-Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda

Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda image source (1)