HEBREW PROGRAM COURSES 2019-2020
Spring 2020
HEBR 120 / HEBR 501 Elementary Modern Hebrew
(L2) Orit Yeret
A two-term introduction to the language of contemporary Israel, both spoken and written. Fundamentals of grammar; extensive practice in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. Successful completion of the fall term or placement test is required to enroll in the spring term.
MTWTHF 9:25–10:20 or 10:30–11:20
HEBR 140 / HEBR 502 Intermediate Modern Hebrew
(L4) Orit Yeret
A review and continuation of grammatical study leading to a deeper comprehension of style and usage. Focus on selected readings, writing, comprehension, and speaking skills. Prerequisite: HEBR 130, or a placement test.
TTH 1:00–2:15
Israeli Narratives NELC 157 / JDST 306 / MMES 157 / NELC 557 Area HU, WR
Shiri Goren
Thursday, 1:30- 3:20, Sterling Library 118A
This course looks at contemporary representations of social, political and domestic space in Israel through cultural production such as literature, visual work, film, theatre and art.
It offers close reading and discussion of major Israeli works in translation with attention to how their themes and forms relate to the Israeli condition. Reading and viewing include: Amos Oz’s major novel A Tale of Love and Darkness, Anne Frank: The Graphic Diary, Maya Arad’s novella “The Hebrew Teacher,” TV show Arab Labor, short films and writing by Yehudah Amichai, Etgar Keret, and Sayed Kashua, among others. We will discuss topics and theories of personal and collective identity formation, war and peace, ethnicity and race, migration, nationalism, and gender. This semester, we are fortunate to have a lineup of events and guest speakers, who kindly agreed to share their expertise with us. We will attend the semi-autobiographical one man show In-Between, which portrays the complexities and contradictions inherent in Palestinian-Israeli identity; Israeli artist Liron Lavi Turkenich, will visit Yale and introduce Aravrit - an experimental writing system she created which presents a set of hybrid letters merging Hebrew and Arabic; We will visit and work with materials from the archive of poet Yehudah Amichai at the Beinecke library; View paintings and photographs by Israeli artists at the Yale Art Gallery; and attend a rock concert by Israeli musician Eviatar Banai.
The class is conducted in English. No previous knowledge of Hebrew is required.
Languages In Dialogue: Hebrew and Arabic
HEBR 169, MMES 162, JDST 403
(L5) Dina Roginsky
Hebrew and Arabic are closely related as sister Semitic languages. They have a great degree of grammatical, morphological, and lexical similarity. Historically, Hebrew and Arabic have been in cultural contact, especially in medieval Spain, the Middle East, and North Africa—as evidenced by the Judeo-Arabic languages. In modern Israel, Arabic is the native tongue of about 20% of its population, yet lack of communication exists today between Hebrew speakers and Arabic speakers for mainly political reasons. This L5 advanced Hebrew class explores cultural and linguistic contacts between the two languages and relationships between the communities, including both Jewish and non-Jewish Arabic speakers and Hebrew speakers. Additionally, students benefit from regular meetings with a parallel L5 Arabic class which discusses similar topics. The shared meetings enable Hebrew learners and Arabic learners to participate together in one class, to promote social interaction based on mutual respect and to focus on cultural and linguistic aspects of the material.
L4 Hebrew or equivalent (placement test).
TTH 2:30-3:45
HEBR 164 / JDST 417 / MMES 167 From Biblical to Modern Hebrew
(L5) Dina Roginsky
The course explores contemporary controversies of Israeli society by examining recent cultural production such as novelistic writing, films, poetry, newspaper articles, new media, advertisement, and television shows. Discussions include migration and the construction of the Sabra character; ethnicity and race: the emergence of Mizrachi voice; women in Israeli society; private and collective memory; minority discourse: Druze, Russian Jews; Israeli masculinity and queer culture. Course conducted in Hebrew. Prerequisite: HEBR 140, placement test, or permission of instructor
TTH 11:35–12:50
Fall 2019
HEBR 110 / 501 Elementary Modern Hebrew
(L1) Dina Roginsky
A two-term introduction to the language of contemporary Israel, both spoken and written. Fundamentals of grammar; extensive practice in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension under the guidance of a native speaker. No previous knowledge required. Successful completion of the fall term required to enroll in the spring term.
MTWTHF 10:30–11:20, Dina Roginsky
MTWTHF 1:30–2:20, Dina Roginsky
HEBR 130 / 502a Intermediate Modern Hebrew
(L3) Shiri Goren
A review and continuation of grammatical study leading to a deeper comprehension of style and usage. Focus on selected readings, writing, comprehension, and speaking skills. Prerequisite: HEBR 120 or a placement test.
MTWTHF 10:30–11:20
MTWTHF 11:30–12:20
HEBR 150 / 503 /JDST213 / MMES150 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Daily Life in Israel
(L5) Orit Yeret
An examination of themes in Israeli society. Reading includes editorials and short newspaper articles. Advanced grammatical and conversational structures are introduced and practiced. Conducted in Hebrew. Prerequisite: HEBR 140, placement test or permission of instructor. MW 11:35-12:50
HEBR 167 / JDST402 / MMES166 Creative Writing in Hebrew
(L5) Orit Yeret
An advanced language course with focus on creative writing and self-expression. Students develop knowledge of modern Hebrew, while elevating writing skills based on special interests, and in various genres, including short prose, poetry, dramatic writing, and journalism. Students engage with diverse authentic materials, with emphasis on Israeli literature, culture, and society. Prerequisite: HEBR 140, placement test or permission of instructor.
TTH 9:00-10:15