New Delhi, 1 February, 2013: A three day conference on 'Hebrew Language and Culture: Reception, Self-Conception and Intercultural Relations', took place this week (January 28-30, 2013) at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. The event, organized by the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies in JNU's Centre of Arabic and African Studies, hosted dozens of leading Hebrew and Judaism scholars from Israel and India. The conference aimed at exploring the different aspects of Hebrew; the language, the people, the culture, the old and the new.

 

Amongst the subjects discussed in the conference were The Revival of the Hebrew Language, India in the Rabbinic Literature, Comparisons between Judaic Thought and Gandhi’s Philosophy, Hebrew and Jewish Literature and Culture in India and various studies of India's Jewish communities.

 

The Ambassador of Israel to India, Mr. Alon Ushpiz, in his inauguration address, thanked the organizers from JNU and said that "the impressive depth of the discussions in the conference is a mirror image of the academic passion found in Israel for Indian culture, heritage, history and languages". "The key to our mutual academic fascination" added Ambassador Ushpiz, "is the fact that both Israel and India have managed to preserve their ancient heritage while constantly moving forward with the rapidly changing world".