Open-source Unicode Hebrew fonts

Prerequisites

Before editing Hebrew text, make sure you have installed on your Operating System some attractive Unicode Hebrew fonts that support the full range of Hebrew text with diacritical marks (t’amim and niqudot).

Download and install our Open Siddur Open-source Unicode Hebrew font pack.

Before editing, also make sure to have installed and activated, a Hebrew keyboard layout (such as the Biblical (TIRO) Hebrew layout), again, supporting the full range of Hebrew text with diacritical marks (t’amim and niqudot). Such layout is bundled with the font pack linked above.

Notepad++ RTL example

Editing Unformatted Hebrew Text

You may find that before formatting Hebrew text, it can be very helpful to use a simple text editor to type or edit unformatted Hebrew text with diacritical marks (t’amim and niqudot). With a simple text editor that properly supports Unicode (UTF-8) and Bidirectional (Right-to-Left and Left-to-Right) text editing, you can more easily late where there may be any duplicate marks, spaces, or other unnecessary formatting.

For Windows OS users, we recommend Notepad++ configured with John Hudson’s SBL Hebrew font.

For Mac OS users, we’ve heard good things about COTEditor. Let us know what works best for you. (While dated, this page also has some leads.)

If you use GNU/Linux, you might already have a favorite editor. Let us know what’s worked best for you.

LibreOffice logo

Formatting Hebrew Text in a Word Processor

Formatting Hebrew text with diacritics and having it displayed correctly in the word processor often depends on the software and operating system you are using. On Linux and Windows, you don’t need to purchase expensive software for offline work with Hebrew — not since the amazing open source programmers behind LibreOffice, the Document Foundation, developed a free and open source solution for working with Right-to-Left texts like Hebrew.^[1] LibreOffice is a fork of the OpenOffice suite containing many improvements including increased support for RTL languages.   Until the Open Siddur web application is available for crafting siddurim and other curricular resources on Jewish liturgy, we recommend LibreOffice.^[2] Mac users have long relied on Mellel, which while closed source and commercial, has also proven itself dependable. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the OS X operating system support for non-Western languages, unspecialized software often fails to position Hebrew diacritics correctly.  

LibreOffice is a free/libre office suite containing a powerful and user-friendly text editor: LibreOffice Writer. LibreOffice is cross-platform — it can be installed and run on Linux, Macintosh, and Windows operating systems.

Unlike many other text-based applications LibreOffice natively supports open standards and document formats. That way, what you type today should still be readable in the digital world twenty or a hundred years from now. Also, unlike many other text editors it correctly positions niqqud/vowels and t’amim/cantillation when using Hebrew fonts that correctly support the full range of Hebrew diacritics.

Configuring LibreOffice for Editing Hebrew Text

In order to get to work working with Hebrew in LibreOffice, follow the following steps:

1. Download our Open Source Unicode Hebrew Font Pack and install the fonts on your operating system. There are a number of excellent fonts now that support the full range of Hebrew diacritics (niqqud/vowels and t’amim/cantillation): Ezra SIL/SR, Shlomo Stam, Cardo, Taamey Ashkenaz, Taamey Frank CLM, Taamey David CLM, Taamey Frank CLM, Shofar, Keter YG, and Keter Aram Tsova.

    

2. Set up a Hebrew Keyboard Layout for your operating system supporting the full range of Hebrew diacritics.

    

   • For Windows, download this keyboard layout and install.

     Once installed, press Alt-Shift to switch between languages.

      

   • For Macs, download this keyboard layout and install. (Support.)

    

3. Download and install LibreOffice

    

4. Configure LibreOffice settings:

    

   • On Linux, Mac, and Windows: Open LibreOffice Writer. Select Tools > Options.

      

   • When the Options window opens, from its menu, choose Language Settings > Languages.

      

   • Under “Default Languages for Documents” go to the menu option for Complex text layout (CTL), and from the drop menu select Hebrew.
     

      

   • Under “Enhanced Language Support” make sure that the checkbox “Enabled for Complex Text Layout (CTL)” is checked.

      

   • Make sure that “for the current document only” is unchecked.

      

   • Click OK.

      

    

5. Now we can begin working in Hebrew with niqqud. In LibreOffice Writer, open a new document.

    

   • From the toolbar, select a Hebrew Font you’d like to type in. (e.g. Ezra SIL)

      

   • Set the text direction on the toolbar by clicking on the following toolbar buttons. (Toolbar button image may vary per version of LibreOffice.)
     

     For a Keyboard Shortcut to change the language orientation to right-to-left.

     On Windows and Linux: press CTRL and SHIFT and press ‘D’).

     On a Mac: hold COMMAND and SHIFT and press D. (To shift back from right-to-left to left-to-right, hold COMMAND + SHIFT and press D again.)

      

   • Begin typing. (Here’s help if you need a Hebrew typing/Keyboard layout reference.)