Sapri Sale
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Sapri Sale | |
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| Born | 10 December 1968 Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Occupation | Language instructor |
Sapri Sale (born 10 December 1968) is an Indonesian language instructor specializing in Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic languages. He is noted for introducing modern Hebrew language instruction in Indonesia, including classes held at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. Sale serves as the founder and director of the Hebrew language program at the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP) in Jakarta.[1] His published work includes a Hebrew-Indonesian dictionary, which has been cited by international media as the first of its kind.
Beyond his dictionary, Sale has authored several study guides for Hebrew and Aramaic aimed at Indonesian learners. CNN Indonesia reported that his teaching emphasizes a linguistic approach focusing on language as a key to studying the history of the Middle East, independent of sensitive geopolitical issues.[2] Through the ICRP program, he has established international academic cooperation, facilitating online lectures with the School of Hebrew at Middlebury University in the United States. His involvement in cultural understanding and interfaith dialogue has been documented, including his participation as a resource person in discussions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which gathered attendees from five countries.
Early life and education
Sapri Sale was born on December 10, 1968, in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.[3] He is the eldest of seven children in a Muslim family. His father worked as a merchant and hoped Sale would continue the family business. His mother, a teacher who emphasized religious education and Quranic recitation, introduced him to reading religious texts and learning about language.[4]
At age of fourteen, Sale moved to Malang, East Java, to pursue studies at a traditional Islamic boarding school or pesantren. There he encountered various schools of Islamic thought and different teaching approaches. After completing his pesantren education, he continued studying languages and religious texts.[5]
Introduction to Hebrew language
Sale continued his education at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, from 1989 to 1996.[6] At Al-Azhar Al-Azhar, he studied Arabic literature[7] and took courses in Islamic studies and Arabic language.
During this period, Sale began to study Hebrew, partly influenced by geopolitical developments in the Middle East during the 1990s. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict made Israel and its official language a topic of discussion within Islamic academic circles.[8] He studied Hebrew at an Israeli cultural center in Cairo.[9]
In 1996, Sale moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where he worked as secretary and translator at the Indonesian Embassy. This position involved tasks related to international communication and language use. In 2005, he relocated to the United States and continued his Hebrew studies through virtual e-Teacher programs.[10]
Dictionary publication and teaching
Before becoming a Hebrew language instructor, Sale worked as national manager for Jet Asia Airways in Jakarta. He later transitioned to focus on Hebrew language education based on his academic background.
In February 2018, Sale published a Hebrew-Indonesian bilingual dictionary that he had been compiling since 2006. The first edition sold out a year.[11]
Sale began offering private Hebrew tutoring in August 2017. By February 2018, he offered public Hebrew language classes at the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP) in Jakarta.[12] According to data from early 2018, approximately 70% of his students were from Christian backgrounds, mainly interested in studying Biblical texts in the original language. The remaining 30% were Muslim students focused on comparative religion, Middle Eastern history, and interfaith dialogue.[9]
Sale later established a partnership with the Hebrew Department at Middlebury University. Through this collaboration, his students could join online courses with native Hebrew speakers.[3]
His activities in Hebrew and Aramaic language education have been noted by several individuals, including former U.S. Ambassador Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir and Professor Dr. Nasarudin Umar, the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque who later served as Indonesia's 25th Minister of Religious Affairs.[13]
References
- ↑ Firmansyah, Satrio (15 March 2018). "Berkenalan dengan Sapri Sale, Guru Bahasa Israel Lulusan Mesir". kumparanNEWS. Archived from the original on 7 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ↑ Laeis, Zuhdiar (2019-12-24). "Sambangi Gereja Theresia, pegiat lintas agama ucapkan Selamat Natal". Antara. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Firdaus, Arie (2018-03-20). "Kursus Ibrani, Langkah Bernyali Sapri Sale". Benar News. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ Carolina, Juke (2018-03-27). "A Muslim Scholar Seeks to Link Israel and Indonesia Through the Hebrew Language". GlobalVoices. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ Artharini, Isyana (2018-03-16). "Kisah Sapri Sale, guru bahasa Ibrani di Jakarta: "Bahasa tidak ada hubungannya dengan kebijakan politik"". BBC News Indonesia. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ Wardah, Fathiyah (2018-03-08). "Belajar Bahasa Ibrani di Jakarta". VoA. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ "Pria Muslim Ini Buka Kursus Bahasa Ibrani di Indonesia". Deutsche Welle. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ Finkelstein, Barbara (2019-03-18). "Muslim Creates First Indonesian-Hebrew Dictionary To Pursue His Dreams Of Peace". Forward. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tisnadibrata, Ismira (2018-03-15). "Indonesia's first Hebrew language center says language is neutral". Arab News. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ Tisnadibrata, Ismira (2018-03-15). "Indonesia's first Hebrew language center says language is neutral". Arab News. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Sapri, Lulusan Pesantren Pengajar Bahasa Ibrani". CNN Indonesia. 2018-07-19. Archived from the original on 2025-05-05. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ "School of Hebrew Connects Online with Students in Indonesia". Middlebury website. 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ Ahren, Raphael (2018-03-13). "Muslim man opens first-ever Hebrew course in Indonesia". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
External links
This article "Sapri Sale" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.