The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology honored Hebrew Language Day on Tuesday by remembering "The War of the Languages," which was the struggle to make Hebrew the language of instruction at university, the Technion explained.
Hebrew Language Day is celebrated throughout Israel and falls on the birthday of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who is considered the main reviver of the Hebrew language.
Following this revival of the language, there was a struggle to implement Hebrew into universities that began between the years 1913 and 1914, the Technion said.
Ultimately, this struggle concluded with Hebrew prevailing and becoming the language of "engineering and science at the Technion."
"The War of the Languages" broke out following the decision by the Ezra youth movement to teach in German at the Technion instead of Hebrew.
This choice became "a catalyst for a continued struggle to establish Hebrew as the language of the Jewish community," the Technion said.
A wave of protests for Hebrew
"The wave of protests against the decision to adopt German for lectures at the Technion raised awareness of the importance of preserving Hebrew's status," it added.
Furthermore, the "Hebrew Language Battalion," founded by graduates of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, operated between 1923 and 1936 with the aim of making Hebrew the everyday language of communication in Israel.
Representatives of the Hafia branch of the "Hebrew Language Battalion" wrote a letter to the Technion administration at the time criticizing the institution, aiming to implement Hebrew into the university.
"We find it difficult to understand how the Technion administration could hold a lecture in a foreign language by a Hebrew association – in one of the Technion halls ... We cannot tolerate such indifference towards our language, and we await clarification on this matter as soon as possible," the letter read.
The members of the battalion took it upon themselves to continue the spirit of the struggle across the country, expanding the use of Hebrew in all areas, including science and engineering, the Technion said.