Ephraim E. Urbach; Helped Make Hebrew a Modern Language

Ephraim E. Urbach, 79, a rabbi and scholar who helped convert ancient Hebrew into a modern language and published works on Jewish history. Urbach was ordained a rabbi in his native Poland in 1934 before immigrating to pre-state Palestine in 1938, during the British mandate. He served as a chaplain in the British army during World War II and later as a high school teacher, and as a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Urbach published four books of Jewish history and religious law. He also was active in trying to bridge differences between Israel’s non-religious majority and observant Jews, by melding Jewish tradition with modern culture. As a member of the Hebrew Language Academy, Urbach was involved in efforts to make Hebrew a modern-day language. He also was a past president of Israel’s Academy of Sciences and Humanities. In Jerusalem on Tuesday of undisclosed causes.