What Language Do They Speak in Israel?

People shopping in the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem

Dozens of languages are spoken in Israel, but the official language is Hebrew, which the majority of the population speaks. It is an ancient language that has evolved over the centuries. 

What Language Does Israel Speak?

Israel is a diverse country that includes Jews from many nations. Thus, additional languages besides Hebrew are widely spoken in Israel, most notably Arabic, Russian, Yiddish, and English. Many Israelis learn Hebrew as their first language, while others who made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) have learned it as their second language. The three most spoken languages in Israel, other than Hebrew, are English, Arabic, and Russian. 

Hebrew: Israel’s Official Language

Hebrew in Israel

Hebrew is the main language in Israel and became the official language of the Holy Land when the Jewish State was first established in 1948. Hebrew is the ancient language of Judaism and the Bible. In Israel, it is used today in the government, schools, media, street signs, and in everyday conversations.

Hebrew as a Language

There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and it’s written and read from right to left. This means that Hebrew readers open their books the opposite way English speakers do. It’s also important to note that early Hebrew was first written without vowels. They are included in Modern Hebrew.

This History of Hebrew

The Hebrew language can be traced back 3,000 years. Almost the entirety of what Christians know as the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. At that time, Hebrew was considered the language of the Jewish people. The language continued to be used in scholarly and literary settings while its use as a spoken language rose and fell many times. This resulted in different variations of Hebrew over time:

  • Biblical Hebrew – Used from the late second century B.C.E to the 1st Century.
  • Rabbinic Hebrew – Used from the 1st Century to the 4th Century.
  • Medieval Hebrew – Used from 4th Century to the 19th Century.
  • Modern Hebrew – Used from the 19th Century onwards.
Moses comes down from the mountain with the tablets of law in his hand

Modern Hebrew as The Official Language of Israel

Hebrew was considered a dead language due to it not being spoken for more than 1,800 years. But its revival began on October 13, 1881, when Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the father of Modern Hebrew, and his friends and family agreed to only speak Hebrew in their conversations.

Ben-Yehuda was a proud Zionist and dreamed of a better future for Jewish people. His mission was to bring Jews back to their roots by moving to their native land and relearning their native language. This idea gained traction among other prominent Zionists, and 67 years later, Modern Hebrew became the national language of Israel and was revived, with more than 9 million people speaking it around the world.

Learning Hebrew in Israel

When olim (immigrants) arrive in Israel, they quickly notice how important it is for them to learn the Jewish state’s official language. Many important documents are in Hebrew, including passports, rental leases, and bills. Not to mention, most people speak Hebrew in everyday conversation.

Israel has a variety of programs and classes for olim. The government subsidizes classes for eligible olim to help them absorb into the country. The school for Hebrew is called “ulpan,” which means “teaching” or “instruction” in Hebrew. If you’re interested in learning some words in Hebrew, check out our Learning Center for Hebrew Words.

Eliezer Ben Yehuda at his desk in Jerusalem

More Languages Spoken in Israel

Arabic

Arabic is the second most common language in Israel. It is used on Israel’s multilingual street signs, advertisements, store names, and around the country. Over 20% of Israel’s population speaks Arabic. It’s taught in many Israeli schools and is also a part of training for specific branches of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a resource to help soldiers in the West Bank communicate with the civilian population. Hebrew and Arabic are both Semitic languages, so they have comparable grammar systems and some similar words, despite having different alphabets and scripts.

Yiddish

Yiddish developed among Ashkenazi Jews in medieval Europe. Based largely on German dialects, it also draws on Hebrew, Aramaic, and other languages. Before World War II, millions of Jews spoke Yiddish, especially in Eastern Europe. The Holocaust devastated its communities and caused a steep decline in the number of speakers. Today, Yiddish is still spoken in Israel and elsewhere, particularly in Hasidic communities, where many children grow up speaking it.

Russian

Russian is spoken by about 15% or 16% of the population. Between 1989 and 2006, about 979,000 Soviet Jews immigrated to Israel, significantly boosting the overall population in the Holy Land. To accommodate them, Israel’s government and many businesses provided information in Russian. The massive migration brought thousands of native-speaking Russians and changed the language landscape for years to come. After Germany and the United States, Israel has the world’s third-largest number of native Russian speakers living outside of former Soviet Union territory.

English

Many tourists wonder if they can use English when they visit Israel, and the answer is yes. Not only are Israelis required to learn English as a second language, but many native English-speaking immigrants also live in Israel. In fact, English was the official language during the British-mandate era from the end of World War I until the State of Israel was established in 1948. With the establishment of modern Israel, the official language changed to Hebrew.

French

With the rise of anti-Semitism in France over the last two decades, many French Jews have moved to Israel. This has led to French being one of the many languages spoken in Israel. Additionally, it’s also spoken by many Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian Jews and taught in many Israeli schools and universities. Only 2% of Israelis are native French speakers, but that number is expected to increase as anti-Semitism sadly continues to worsen in France.

Spanish

Jews from Argentina and other Central and South American countries have also immigrated to Israel, bringing their native Spanish language to the Holy Land. Spanish makes up a minor 1.6% of speakers in Israel. These Jews are predominately Sephardic. Interestingly, Sephardic Jews (descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal at the end of the 15th century) have their own dialect of Spanish called Judeo-Spanish (Ladino). According to research by Bar-Ilan University, roughly 250,000 people in Israel still know Judeo-Spanish, but only 100,000 speak it fluently.

Learn the Official Language of Israel

Want to learn how to speak some Hebrew? Check out our Learning Center for Hebrew Words.