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'''Modern Hebrew''' is the Hebrew variant presently spoken in [[Israel]]. It is referred to as ''modern'' to distinguish it from its classical variant. The name of [[Eliezer Ben-Yehuda]] has an inextricable association with modern Hebrew. Without him, modern Hebrew might not today be spoken. Also, and more importantly, he more than any other man made Modern Hebrew what it is.

'''Modern Hebrew''' is the Hebrew variant presently spoken in [[Israel]]. It is referred to as ''modern'' to distinguish it from its classical variant. The name of [[Eliezer Ben-Yehuda]] has an inextricable association with modern Hebrew. Without him, modern Hebrew might not today be spoken. Also, and more importantly, he more than any other man made Modern Hebrew what it is.

Beginning in 1881, Ben-Yehuda, a [[Belarus]]ian émigré who anticipated (and perhaps provoked) the First Aliyah (1882-1904),<ref name=Naor>Naor M, "[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1019876.html Flesh-and-blood Prophet]," ''Haaretz'', 13 September 2008. Accessesd 24 September 2009.</ref> campaigned assiduously to adapt classical Hebrew for use in normal everyday conversation and to encourage Jews everywhere to speak it.

Beginning in 1881, Ben-Yehuda, a [[Belarus]]ian émigré who anticipated (and perhaps provoked) the First Aliyah (1882-1904),<ref name=Naor>Naor M, "[https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1019876.html Flesh-and-blood Prophet]," ''Haaretz'', 13 September 2008. Accessesd 24 September 2009.</ref> campaigned assiduously to adapt classical Hebrew for use in normal everyday conversation and to encourage Jews everywhere to speak it.

Ben-Yehuda had two principal goals. One was to convince all Jews to speak Hebrew as a primary or "native" language, not as a secondary or liturgical language. Ben-Yehuda had been told that a common language was one of two necessary marks of distinction for a self-determining people. When others told him that the Jews had no common language, he declared, "We shall create one!"<ref name=Naor/> He did not actually mean to create an entirely new language, but rather to convince Jews to use a language that they already knew how to read, for a much wider purpose than that for which Jews used it at the time.

Ben-Yehuda had two principal goals. One was to convince all Jews to speak Hebrew as a primary or "native" language, not as a secondary or liturgical language. Ben-Yehuda had been told that a common language was one of two necessary marks of distinction for a self-determining people. When others told him that the Jews had no common language, he declared, "We shall create one!"<ref name=Naor/> He did not actually mean to create an entirely new language, but rather to convince Jews to use a language that they already knew how to read, for a much wider purpose than that for which Jews used it at the time.