Hebrew Scholars Participate in Work of Hebrew Dictionary

The completion of the 3,000th page of the late Eliezer Ben Yehuda’s Hebrew Thesaurus was celebrated at a small gathering of the savants and trustees engaged in preparing for publication the unpublished parts of the Dictionary.

The gathering was at the home of Colonel F. H. Kisch, member of the Palestine Zionist Exeucitve and Chairman of the Eliezer Ben Yehuda Memorial Trust. There were present the Jewish, English, French and German scholars who are co-operating in the completion of the Dictionary, also Mrs. Ben Yehuda and members of her family.

Colonel Kisch opened the proceedings in Hebrew. welcoming Mrs. Ben Yehudaand the scholars. Turning to Pere Dhorme, Colonel Kisch expressed the gratitude of the trustees for the services rendered by the great Orientalist and philologist in the work. Continuing in German, he paid a tribute to Pastor Prof. Hertzberg for his share in the work. Proceeding in English, he expressed gratitude to Dr. Albright and Canon Danby, who by their interest in Hebrew, he said, were showing an example which the British officials in Palestine might advantageously emulate. Colonel Kisch concluded in Hebrew with thanks to Dr. Mazia for his co-operation.

Mrs. Ben Yehuda, holding up the small manuscript representing the beginning of Ben Yehuda’s lifelong work commenced thirty-two years ago, made a moving speech in which she expressed her indebtedness to the scholars and trustees, and her determination to see her husband’s work completed. “But had it not been for the trustees and the encouragement I have received from these distinguished scholars,” she added, “I should not have had the strength to begin nor the energy to finish this work.”

Pere Dhorme and Dr. Mazia described the conditions under which the work was proceeding. Both expressed with considerable feeling their admiration of the active co-operation of Mrs. Ben Yehuda in her husband’s work.