Why Saying ‘L’Shana Tova’ on Rosh Hashanah May Not Be the Correct Phrase
Rosh Hashanah is done for the year. But two readers seek advice about the proper grammar and usage of the well-known greeting l’shana tova.
Phil, We Hardly Knew Ye — Or Should We Say Vous?
The French say tu to close friends and vous with others, which won’t work in Hebrew or English. In his final column for the Forward, Philologos explains these linguistic intimacies.
Could Spoken Language Be the Key to Unification?
What if Israel wasn’t a Jewish state but a Hebrew state? Having one common language might help forge one Israeli identity — but not without some problems.
Chickenshit: The Sequel
Philologos admits that he is no stranger to profanity, and defends himself against critics, who argue that he misinterpreted what it meant when Benjamin Netanyahu was called ‘chickenshit.’
At Least Six Degrees of Wisdom and Nuttiness
Philologos points out that not every rabbi is a ‘rabbinical scholar’ and not every rabbi’s pupil is a smart man. Did a Forward article muddy the Talmudic waters?
The Epic Battle Between Chicken and Chickenshit
Being called ‘chicken’ is one thing but ‘chickenshit’ is quite another. Philologos explains why Benjamin Netanyahu got so upset when the diplomatic stuff hit the fan.
Culture Dispute Is All Aramaic to Us
How seriously should we take the movement to create a unique identity for Israeli Christians? Philologos investigates the revival of Aramaic, the language of Jesus.
Political Correctness Doesn’t Make Speech More Meaningful
Should we bend over backward to avoid using male-centric language? No, argues Philologos, because political correctness can sometimes get in the way of communicating properly.
Lend Me Your (Yiddish) Earlocks
A common Yiddish phrase literally means ‘I have it in the left earlock.’ Philologos investigates the idiom, which does not require knowledge of Jewish hairstyles.
What's an Angel of Rain Doing in a Jewish Sukkot Prayer?
At the heart of the Shemini Atzeret rain prayer, there is a reference to ‘the angel of rain.’ Philologos investigates how it wound up in the Sukkot celebration.