Menahem Banitt

Who is Menahem Banitt?

Menachem Banitt, born August 3, 1914, Antwerp, Belgium, died February 24, 2007, Israel, was a scholar of medieval French culture and language and an internationally acclaimed expert on Rashi. Banitt was particularly known for his analysis of Rashi's occasional translation of words and phrases from Hebrew or Aramaic into Old French, written phonetically in Hebrew letters.

Banitt was a recipient of the Israel Prize for the Study of Jewish Languages in 1999. He was also awarded the French honour of Officier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques.