University Bulletin (2022-2023)

• Minor

The Hebrew Language and Literature Program enables students to function in the Hebrew language at all levels and in all skills. In terms of both the means and the goal of the program, a special emphasis is given to the personal needs of each student. For this reason we developed a multi-track curriculum that allows students in different levels to select those courses which best interest them, fit their abilities, and correspond to their needs. Students may choose courses that emphasize specific skills, such as reading, writing, speaking or grammar, or courses that are based on content, such as literature, film, Business and theater. In addition, the program recognizes the needs of the greater community of Hebrew learners in America by providing instruction and guidance on various issues of Hebrew language acquisition.

The program offers 18 courses per year including beginning, intermediate and advanced level courses. The advanced level courses vary greatly and include an introduction to classical Hebrew, literature courses and courses on contemporary Israeli culture, including film, theater, Jerusalem, theater and Hebrew for business. Placement is determined according to the individual level of each student through a placement test administered by the program.

The Hebrew Language and Literature Program of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies offers instruction in Hebrew language and literature and in the teaching of Hebrew language. Our program allows students to acquire an advanced level of proficiency and a strong background in Hebrew culture and literature. Undergraduate students are welcome to participate in the Hebrew program as minors or to simply take individual courses, as well as to fulfill university language requirements.

The publication of the Hebrew Proficiency guidelines in 1990 (By the Hebrew program at Brandeis in Collaboration with The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) have helped us gain a better understanding of the characteristic stages of linguistic behavior that non- native usually follows from "no communication in Hebrew" (the Novice level) to "native- like competence" (the superior level).

These guidelines opened the way for more realistic assessment of functional proficiency in all four skills obtainable through instruction in any academic framework. Since our curriculum was inspired by The Hebrew proficiency Guidelines, and therefore is written in terms of "student outcomes, i.e. it describes not what we hope to achieve, but what students actually learned and were able to do after each period of instruction. The curriculum assumes 14 weeks of instruction either six or four hours weekly (depends on the level) including the number of contact hours both in the classroom and outside the classroom.

In order to get a true indication of what they have learned both achievements and proficiency exams need to be included in the curriculum. The curriculum for the first three semesters was written with equal emphasis on all four skills. Starting from the fourth semester there are courses that emphasize one specific skill e.g. reading, speaking, writing over the others. Since there is a difference between the pace of the acquisition of productive skills (speaking and writing) and the receptive skills (reading and listening) the expected levels of outcomes are articulated in terms of range of levels. In order to clarify the exact expectation, we articulated the outcomes' goals for each of the language skills. Each goal articulation includes the following criteria: Content/context, Tasks, Text -type and accuracy.

In order to get a true indication of both student progress and outcome exams need to be included in the curriculum. Students are encouraged to be active participants in their own learning. We hope that the articulation of the learning goals will help our students develop realistic expectations regarding the proficiency achievable in a specified number of hours of study. They need to understand that learning a foreign language is a lifelong endeavor.

Students majoring in Hebrew language and literature at Brandeis will:

1. Achieve functional linguistic proficiency in the four language skills (speaking, listening, writing, reading) at the level of a near native speaker through application of the acquired knowledge in all areas of language and culture.
2. Be able to utilize these skills in both formal and informal settings.
3. Be capable of analyzing all aspects of the written and oral language with respect to different genre, including media and modern literature, as well as classical and academic texts.
4. Deepen the understanding of historical evolution and contemporary development of the language through analysis of language structure.
5. Develop comprehension of and appreciation for cultural phenomena represented in the language.
6. Become familiar with mechanisms of language acquisition, assisting them in becoming lifelong learners of the Hebrew language.

Students at the Hebrew program are coming from various Hebrew language background and are seeking to test how well they function and their level of competence. The Hebrew minor will make it possible to receive acknowledgment for their past experience knowledge through their current academic Hebrew coursework. The minor will encourage them to pursue more courses to improve their receptive skills: listening, reading and their productive skills: speaking and writing in the language. The Minor will help to prepare them for a potential future career in the field of teaching Hebrew as a second language acquisition.

An undergraduate Minor in Hebrew Language, Literature and Culture will prepare students for graduate school and professions in education, business, journalism, diplomacy and other fields. The Minor in Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture aims to bring students to an advanced level of proficiency in Hebrew and offer a strong background in Hebrew culture and literature. Courses are taught by faculty whose fields of specialization include biblical studies, post-biblical, Rabbinic, and medieval Hebrew literature, Modern Hebrew literature and culture, Hebrew language, and Hebrew language pedagogy.

Sara Hascal, Acting Director Hebrew Language Program
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

Guy Antebi
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

Esther Shorr
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

Aliza Brosh
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

The minor consists of five semester courses:

1. Three courses in Hebrew language selected from the following: HBRW 34a, HBRW 35a, HBRW 41a, HBRW 44b, HBRW 121b, HBRW 124a, HBRW 141a, HBRW 144a, HBRW 146a, HBRW 161b, HBRW 162b, HBRW 164b, HBRW 167b, HBRW 170a.
   
   Please note that only one HBRW 30-level course and only one HBRW 40-level course might count for your minor.
2. One text-intensive course in Biblical, Rabbinic or Medieval Hebrew. The course is taught in English using texts in Hebrew: NEJS 10a, NEJS 25a, NEJS 110b, NEJS 112a, NEJS 119a, NEJS 121b, NEJS 122b, NEJS 123b, NEJS 125b, NEJS 126a, NEJS 126b, NEJS 127b.
3. One course in Modern Hebrew Literature (taught in Hebrew): NEJS 173a, NEJS 174a, NEJS 174b, NEJS 178a.
4. No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the minor.
5. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

Students may double count up to two courses with another major or minor. A maximum of two semester course credits taken at other universities may be accepted toward the minor. Each course transferred from another university must have the approval of the Hebrew program in order to be accepted for credit toward the minor requirements. Students are encouraged to seek advance approval from the Hebrew program advisor for all courses intended for transfer credit.

All students are strongly encouraged to study Hebrew in Israel for a semester, a full year, or in intensive summer programs. Study abroad provides students with daily interaction in the target language and enables them to achieve the following goals:

• Greater linguistic precision in speaking, reading, writing and listening to the language.
• The experience of living and learning the culture in an authentic setting.
• The Hebrew courses will achieve a greater understanding of human diversity based on the study or experience of different social backgrounds and settings especially that obtained through time spent abroad.

A placement exam will be given upon your return to campus to determine your language competence.

Students majoring in the Hebrew track of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies cannot also obtain a minor in Hebrew Language, Literature and Culture.

HBRW 10a Beginning Hebrew

Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

For students with no previous knowledge and those with a minimal background. Intensive training in the basics of Hebrew grammar, listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Several sections will be offered. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

HBRW 19a Beginning Hebrew: Honors

Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

A beginner course for those students with some previous exposure to Hebrew. Builds upon the initial exposure, continuing to teach the basics of grammar, vocabulary, speaking, and writing. Usually offered every fall.
Esther Shorr

HBRW 20b Intermediate Hebrew

Prerequisite: HBRW 10a or HBRW 19a or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

Continuation of HBRW 10a, employing the same methods. Intensive training in Hebrew grammar, listening, comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Several sections offered every semester.
Esther Shorr

HBRW 29b Intermediate Hebrew I: Honors

Prerequisite: HBRW 10a or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Only one 20-level Hebrew course may be taken for credit. Four class hours and one lab hour per week.

This course is designed for honor students who wish to excel in the language. Students are admitted upon recommendation of the director of the Hebrew language program. Usually offered every year in the spring.
Staff

HBRW 34a Intermediate Hebrew II: Aspects of Israeli Culture
[ fl ]

Prerequisite: Any 20-level Hebrew course or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

A continuation of HBRW 20b. A beginner-intermediate level course that helps students strengthen their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Contemporary cultural aspects will be stressed and a variety of materials will be used. Usually offered every semester.
Guy Antebi

HBRW 35a Conversation and Writing Skills for Heritage Learners
[ fl ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 20b or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

A beginner-intermediate level course designed to improve the reading, writing, and linguistic skills of students who have been raised in a Hebrew speaking environment. Usually offered every year in the fall.
Staff

HBRW 41a Advanced Intermediate Hebrew: Intensive Conversation
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or the equivalent. Students may take this course and HBRW 44b for credit. Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

For students who have acquired an intermediate knowledge of Hebrew and who wish to develop a greater fluency in conversation. Usually offered every second year.
Guy Antebi

HBRW 44b Advanced Intermediate Hebrew: Israeli Culture and Media
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or the equivalent. Four class hours per week with additional half an hour to practice speaking skills.

Reinforces the acquired skills of speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing at the intermediate level. Contemporary cultural aspects are stressed; conversational Hebrew and reading of selections from modern literature. Usually offered every semester.
Guy Antebi

HBRW 97a Senior Essay

Usually offered every semester.
Staff

HBRW 97b Senior Essay

Usually offered every semester.
Staff

HBRW 98a Independent Study

Usually offered every year in the fall.
Staff

HBRW 98b Independent Study

Signature of the instructor required.

Usually offered every year in the spring.
Staff

HBRW 121a Let's Converse in Hebrew 1: Life Challenges and Post Trauma of an Israeli Family through a TV Series
[ fl oc ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

An advanced-intermediate conversation course for students who wish to improve their speaking skills. Role playing, vocabulary building, and guided speaking activities develop conversational skills for various situations. Reading and discussion of contemporary texts, based on popular Israeli television series, assist in vocabulary building. Usually offered every year.

Sara Hascal

HBRW 121b Let's Converse in Hebrew II: Life Challenges of an Israeli Family through a TV Series
[ fl hum oc ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

An advanced-intermediate conversation course for students who wish to improve their speaking skills. Role playing, vocabulary building, and guided speaking activities develop conversational skills for various situations. Reading and discussion of contemporary texts, based on the popular Israeli TV series, "Yellow Peppers", assist in vocabulary building. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Hascal

HBRW 124a Hebrew for Business, Doing Business in Start-Up Nation
[ dl fl wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor. Does not meet the requirement in the school of humanities.

Provides students with tools and competence to deal with the Israeli business community. For advanced-intermediate Hebrew students who wish to gain cultural understanding and business language speaking skills. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Hascal

HBRW 141a Advanced Hebrew Conversation
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

For advanced-intermediate students who want to work on accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary building. The course prepares students to become advanced speakers of Hebrew. Reading of contemporary texts and newspaper articles and listening to Israeli videos will serve as a basis for building higher-level speaking proficiency. Includes one additional weekly hour to practice speaking skills. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

HBRW 144a Hebrew through Plays and Drama
[ ca djw fl hum oc wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

Focuses on improving Hebrew language skills at the advanced-intermediate level through critical reading and analysis of authentic and contemporary Israeli short plays and studying the comparison between plays in Israel and those in the U.S. The course will examine theories in aspects of drama and implement drama techniques including improvisation, movement, and creative expression. The course readings cover topics such as social diversity and justice as well as human rights and awareness of world identities. The course culminates in the writing of an original scene or one-act play in Hebrew. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Hascal

HBRW 146a The Voices of Jerusalem
[ djw fl hum wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

For advanced-intermediate students who wish to enhance their language proficiency and work toward improving fluency and communication through analysis of selected materials covering literature, poetry, history, politics, and art that depict the unique tradition and culture of Jerusalem. Usually offered every fall.
Sara Hascal

HBRW 152b Ethnic Minorities in the Modern State of Israel
[ fl hum oc ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

Examines the cultures and institutions of ethnic minorities in Israel. By examining and discussing the cultural characteristics and political activism of non-Jewish communities in Israel, this course exposes students to various faces of Israeli society, and to its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural identity. Special one-time offering, spring 2021.
Rima Farah

HBRW 161b What's Up?: Hebrew through Israeli News Media
[ fl hum wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

For advanced-intermediate students who wish to enhance proficiency and work toward improving fluency and communication. In this course, Israeli media, films,clips from Israeli TV shows, and on-line resources will be used to promote language and cultural competency. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

HBRW 162b Translation Practice and Theory
[ hum nw ]

Focuses on the practice and theory of Hebrew to English translation. Students will translate and edit authentic materials (literary texts, television series, film, internet sites, speeches and newspapers.) We will also use short texts on the theory and practice of translation in order to reflect on our own translation practices. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HBRW 164b Israeli Theater
[ ca djw fl hum oc wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

An advanced-intermediate course that promotes language skills through the reading and analysis of plays. The student's creativity is developed through participation in acting and creative writing assignments. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Hascal

HBRW 167b The Sleeping Beauty: The Revival of Modern Hebrew
[ dl fl hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

An advanced course that surveys the origins of the Hebrew language and its development throughout the centuries, focusing on its major stages (biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern). Explores the unique phenomenon of its revival as a spoken language and its adaptation to the modern world. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

HBRW 170a Take I: Hebrew through Israeli Cinema
[ fl hum wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

An advanced culture course that focuses on strengthening all language skills by studying the various aspects of Israeli society as portrayed in Israeli films and television. In addition to viewing films, the students will be asked to read Hebrew background materials, to participate in class discussions, and to write in Hebrew about the films. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

HBRW 301b Hebrew Practicum II

Continuation of HBRW 301a.
Staff

HBRW 303a Readings in Assessing the Learning and Teaching of Hebrew

Staff

NEJS 173a Trauma and Violence in Israeli Literature and Film
[ deis-us djw fl hum ]

Taught in Hebrew.

Explores trauma and violence in Israeli Literature, film, and art. Focuses on man-made disasters, war and terrorism, sexual and family violence, and murder and suicide, and examines their relation to nationalism, Zionism, gender, and sexual identity. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 174a Minorities and Others in Israeli Literature and Culture
[ djw fl hum ]

Taught in Hebrew.

An exploration of poetics and identity in modern Hebrew literature. By offering a feminist and psychoanalytic reading of various Hebrew texts, this seminar explores questions of personal and national identity, otherness, visibility, and marginality in the Israeli context. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 174b Israeli Women Writers on War and Peace
[ deis-us djw fl hum oc ]

Taught in Hebrew.

An exploration of nationalism and gender in Modern Hebrew literature. By discussing various Hebrew texts and Israeli works of art and film, this course explores women's relationship to Zionism, war, peace, the state, politics, and processes of cultural production. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 178a Love, Sex, and Power in Israeli Culture
[ djw fl hum ]

Taught in Hebrew. May be repeated for credit.

Explores questions of romance, gender, marriage, and jealousy in the Israeli context by offering a feminist and psychoanalytic reading of Hebrew texts, works of art, and film. Usually offered every third year.
Ilana Szobel

FA 76a Palestinian and Israeli Art, Film and Visual Culture: Intersecting Visions
[ ca ]

Israelis and Palestinians have been creating vibrant and bold works of art that both reflect and transcend the region's conflict-ridden history. This course offers a critical comparative study of Israeli and Palestinian art, exploring contentious expressions of pain and trauma as well as shared visions of hope and peace. Usually offered every second year.
Gannit Ankori

NEJS 173a Trauma and Violence in Israeli Literature and Film
[ deis-us djw fl hum ]

Taught in Hebrew.

Explores trauma and violence in Israeli Literature, film, and art. Focuses on man-made disasters, war and terrorism, sexual and family violence, and murder and suicide, and examines their relation to nationalism, Zionism, gender, and sexual identity. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 174a Minorities and Others in Israeli Literature and Culture
[ djw fl hum ]

Taught in Hebrew.

An exploration of poetics and identity in modern Hebrew literature. By offering a feminist and psychoanalytic reading of various Hebrew texts, this seminar explores questions of personal and national identity, otherness, visibility, and marginality in the Israeli context. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 174b Israeli Women Writers on War and Peace
[ deis-us djw fl hum oc ]

Taught in Hebrew.

An exploration of nationalism and gender in Modern Hebrew literature. By discussing various Hebrew texts and Israeli works of art and film, this course explores women's relationship to Zionism, war, peace, the state, politics, and processes of cultural production. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 178a Love, Sex, and Power in Israeli Culture
[ djw fl hum ]

Taught in Hebrew. May be repeated for credit.

Explores questions of romance, gender, marriage, and jealousy in the Israeli context by offering a feminist and psychoanalytic reading of Hebrew texts, works of art, and film. Usually offered every third year.
Ilana Szobel

NEJS 10a Biblical Hebrew Grammar and Texts
[ dl fl hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 20b or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. May not be used to satisfy the World Languages and Cultures requirement.

An accelerated grammar course in Biblical Hebrew. Students engage with biblical Hebrew texts from the first class. They build from words and phrases to a literary translation and grammatical analysis of a student’s choice of biblical Hebrew narrative. Topics include: phonology and the Tiberian pronunciation tradition, syllables and stress patterns, nouns, articles, conjunctions, pronouns, adjectives, possession, prepositions, the prefix and suffix conjugations, derived stems, tense and aspect, volitives, infinitives, and irregular roots. The class uses music and digital tools to aid memorization. It builds students’ vocabularies and understanding of the unusual features of biblical grammar and syntax compared with other semitic languages and modern Hebrew.
Staff

NEJS 10b Biblical Hebrew Practicum
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 10a or permission of the instructor. May not be used to satisfy the World Languages and Cultures requirement.

Activates students' language knowledge through composition (writing). The class builds on NEJS 10a Biblical Hebrew Grammar and Texts, advancing students' knowledge of verb forms, syntax, and vocabulary. Students are exposed to and attempt to emulate narrative and poetic biblical styles. Usually offered every year.
Lynn Kaye

NEJS 25a Introduction to Talmud
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 30-level Hebrew course or the equivalent is recommended.

An introduction to Treatise Bava Metzia, on the subject of labor law. Topics include: payment for commuting time, eating on the job, benefits a worker can expect from their employer. The course introduces the Babylonian Talmud. Attention is paid to modes of argument, literary form, and development of the Talmudic text. No previous study of Talmud is presupposed. Usually offered every second year.
Lynn Kaye

NEJS 110b Psalms in the Hebrew Bible
[ hum ]

Prerequisites: NEJS 10a or 40-level HBRW course or permission of the instructor.

A close reading of selected Psalms in Biblical Hebrew, with study of their poetic, historical, and mythological features and contexts. Usually offered every third year.
Madadh Richey

NEJS 112a The Book of Genesis
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 122a or b, NEJS 10a, or permission of the instructor.

An in-depth study of the Hebrew text of Genesis, with particular attention to the meaning, documentary sources, and Near Eastern background of the accounts of creation and origins of human civilization in chapters one to eleven, and of the patriarchal narratives, especially those about Abraham. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

NEJS 119a The Torah: Composition and Interpretation
[ hum wi ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 10a or equivalent.

Explores Hebrew texts in the Torah or Pentateuch, examining their nature as collections of distinct documents or sources, many of which have a long prehistory, as well as the implications of this compositional model for their interpretation. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

NEJS 121b Biblical Poetry
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 10a or a strong knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

Overview of biblical poetry, its major genre categories, and the various ways biblical scholarship has understood this mode of discourse. Texts read in Hebrew with attention to grammar, poetic structure, and translation. Biblical genres will be contextualized within broader ancient Near Eastern literary traditions. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

NEJS 122b Biblical Narrative Texts: The Historical Tradition
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 10a or a strong knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

A close reading of a variety of biblical "historical" texts from Deuteronomy, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. The basic tools for biblical research and the literary study of the Bible will be explored. The newer methods of analyzing biblical "historical" texts will be discussed. Topics vary from year to year and this course may be repeated for credit. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

NEJS 123b Crossing Boundaries and Being Human in Rabbinic Literature
[ hum oc ]

Being "human" is defined by distinguishing between and ordering different beings according to race, gender, disability and species. This privileges some in society while diminishing the value of others. This course introduces the main texts of rabbinic literature around fundamental questions of what is a legal "person" and what is not. Usually offered every year.
Lynn Kaye

NEJS 125b Midrashic Literature: Sifre Deuteronomy
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-level Hebrew course or the equivalent.

An analysis of the midrashic method of the Sifre Deuteronomy. Emphasis will be placed on a close reading of the text, with a view to developing in the students the capacity to do independent analysis. Usually offered every fourth year.
Reuven Kimelman

NEJS 126a Intermediate Talmud
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-level Hebrew course or the equivalent.

Tractate Sanhedrin, chapter three, which deals with the issue of voluntary and compulsory arbitration and the binding nature of gambling agreements. Usually offered every third year.
Reuven Kimelman

NEJS 126b Agadic Literature: The Ethics of the Fathers with Avot d'Rabbi Nathan
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-level Hebrew course or the equivalent.

A study of the Mishnah Avot and its classical commentaries. Focuses primarily on literary and historical questions. Usually offered every fourth year.
Reuven Kimelman

NEJS 127b How Is the Jewish Liturgy Different from Muslim and Christian Liturgies?
[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 20-level Hebrew course or the equivalent.

A study of the literature, theology, and history of the daily and Sabbath liturgy. Emphasis will be placed on the interplay between literary structure and ideational content, along with discussion of the philosophical issues involved in prayer. Usually offered every third year.
Reuven Kimelman