Language Courses (Hebrew and Yiddish)

Organization

Genesis University (formerly Association for Hebraic Studies Institute)

Credit Course Categories:

Descriptions and credit recommendations for all evaluated learning experiences

Advanced Modern Hebrew (MHEB 303)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

This course combines the objectives Advanced Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 301) and Advanced Modern Hebrew II (MHEB 302). Students will be able to: derive meaning from context without understanding every word of conversation; follow a longer presentation in Hebrew on a number of topics pertaining to different times and places; decipher nuances of language; initiate conversations in Hebrew and sustain them for a longer period of time; converse in Hebrew in a variety of everyday, school, work or social situations; read consistently with full understanding of simple connected texts dealing with basic personal and social needs about which the student has personal interest or knowledge; get the gist of longer paragraphs when expectations cued by the text are fulfilled as well as to comprehend most details of simple informative texts; read and interpret poetry; read between the lines to interpret nuances and big ideas; write an essay that analyzes a topic in depth; and meet most practical writing needs and limited social demands such as taking notes on familiar topics, respond in writing to personal questions and write simple letters, brief synopses.

Instruction:

Advanced Modern Hebrew (MHEB 303) is for students who completed Intermediate Modern Hebrew (MHEB 203) or students who have a relatively strong Hebrew proficiency. The primary objective of this course is to help learners improve their skills in Hebrew for the purpose of oral and written communication and reading comprehension.

Credit recommendation:

In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 8 semester hours in Modern Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation). NOTE: Advanced Modern Hebrew (MHEB 303) duplicates courses Advanced Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 301) and Advanced Modern Hebrew II (MHEB 302).

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Advanced Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 301)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: derive meaning from context without understanding every word of conversation; follow a presentation in Hebrew on a number of topics; initiate conversations in Hebrew and sustain them for a longer period of time; converse in Hebrew in a variety of everyday, school, work or social situations; read consistently with full understanding of simple connected texts dealing with basic personal and social needs about which the student has personal interest or knowledge; get the gist of longer paragraphs when expectations cued by the text are fulfilled as well as comprehending most details of simple informative texts; and meet most practical writing needs and limited social demands such as taking notes on familiar topics, respond in writing to personal questions and write simple letters, brief synopses.

Instruction:

Advanced Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 301) is designed for students who completed Intermediate Modern Hebrew or students who have a relatively strong Hebrew proficiency. The primary objective is to help learners improve their skills in Hebrew for the purpose of oral and written communication and reading comprehension.

Credit recommendation:

In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in Modern Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation).

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Advanced Modern Hebrew II (MHEB 302)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: derive meaning from context without understanding every word of conversation; follow a longer presentation in Hebrew on a number of topics pertaining to different times and places; decipher nuances of language; initiate conversations in Hebrew and sustain them for a longer period of time; converse in Hebrew in a variety of everyday, school, work or social situations; read consistently with full understanding of simple connected texts dealing with basic personal and social needs about which the student has personal interest or knowledge; get the gist of longer paragraphs when expectations cued by the text are fulfilled as well as comprehending most details of simple informative texts; read and interpret poetry; read between the lines to interpret nuances and big ideas; write an essay that analyzes a topic in depth; and meet most practical writing needs and limited social demands such as taking notes on familiar topics, respond in writing to personal questions and write simple letters, brief synopses.

Instruction:

Advanced Modern Hebrew II (MHEB 302) is designed for students who completed Advanced Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 301) or students who have a relatively strong Hebrew proficiency. The primary objective of this course is to help learners improve their skills in Hebrew for the purpose of oral and written communication and reading comprehension.

Credit recommendation:

In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in Modern Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation).

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Advanced Yiddish (YID 303)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: fulfill the objectives for Elementary Yiddish (YID 103) and Intermediate Yiddish (YID 203), including responding to more complex scenarios; increase proficient reading skills reflecting comprehension, expanded vocabulary, and capacity to write responsively; increasing knowledge and skill of correct verb usage, tenses, and integration into writing; and demonstrating the capacity to read and comprehend more complex Yiddish writings.

Instruction:

This advanced course integrates the skills acquired by the student in elementary Yiddish and intermediate Yiddish, and extends the skills to advanced language proficiency. Major topics include: reading comprehension, discourse, writing and reading. Students are expected to demonstrate an advanced level of facility and comprehension of complicated texts and situations, and respond to them in a fluid discourse, reflecting skill and comfort.

Credit recommendation:

In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 8 semester hours in Advanced Yiddish, or Germanic Languages (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation).

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Art of Yiddish Translation Theory and Practice (LNG 610/ JST 610)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

January 2022 – Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: Unpack the major (and minor) challenges facing translators from Yiddish; analyze some of leading Yiddish stories of the early 20th century alongside their English translations; analyze the interplay of cultural influences of the milieu in which Yiddish stories are set; describe the perspectives of various translation theorists over the last century; and evaluate the differences among the same translations of particular texts.

Instruction:

Topics include: history of translation and its evolution, translator’s responsibilities, challenges for translators, role of language and culture, and choosing a project for translation.

Credit recommendation:

In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in History, Jewish Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Yiddish, and Eastern European Studies (11/22 revalidation).

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Ashkenazic Hebrew I (HEB 510/JST 510)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

January 2022 – Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: understand the linguistic principles of the ancient classical (Tiberian) form of Hebrew and Aramaic; explain the thousand year continuum of Ashkenazic culture and apply its two sacred languages to this continuum; and evaluate the history and impact of Ashkenazic on Jewish life, creativity, culture, and education; recognize the centrality of language to Jewish culture of Ashkenazic origin communities and beyond; identify the role and impact that Ashkenazic Hebrew and Aramaic had on the Jewish religious and political experience; recognize that Jewish culture and creativity are very often products of religious ideas and practice; trace the continuous Ashkenaz language chain from Biblical times until today; recognize the influence of Ashkenazic behind the creation of modern Israeli Hebrew; and identify the historical relationship between Hebrew, Aramaic and Yiddish.

Instruction:

Through readings and discussions students explore Jewish history and Hebrew using the multidisciplinary tools of linguistics, history, sociology and religious and secular movements. Topics include: what is Ashkenazic Hebrew and Aramaic, debates about standard vs. dialect in Ashkenazic, the campaign to obliterate Ashkenazic, and Ashkenazic today.

Credit recommendation:

In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in History, Jewish Studies, Linguistics, Hebrew Languages and Literature, Yiddish, or Eastern European Studies (11/22).

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Elementary Biblical Hebrew (HEB 153)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

This course combines Elementary Biblical Hebrew I (HEB 151) and Elementary Biblical Hebrew II (HEB 152). Students will be able to: read biblical Hebrew; transliterate Hebrew words; translate selected Biblical passages; parse and find the lexical form of verbs; explain the basics of verbal forms; understand basic syntax of Hebrew; and understand basic morphology of Hebrew and analyze word formation.

Instruction:

The primary goals of the elementary level are to introduce the elementary grammar forms, the regular verbal forms, the most frequent vocabulary, word formations and their inflection, and the characteristic syntax and other basic features of the language. Topics may include: the Hebrew alphabet; writing - print and cursive; the vowel system (including vowel reduction); reading; the noun - gender and number, independent (personal) pronouns, demonstrative pronouns; interrogative pronouns, nominal sentence, the syntactic order "noun-adjective", the definite article (including before gutturals), the conjunction vav, some prepositions; construct case; pronominal suffixes; verb - overview; applying the verb pattern to selected Binyanim (stems); marker of the direct object; Yiqtol patterns of the strong verb active participle; forms of the imperative in the strong verb; and pronominal suffixes with verbs.

Credit recommendation:

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Biblical or Classical Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation). NOTE: Elementary Biblical Hebrew (HEB 153) is a combination of Elementary Biblical Hebrew I (HEB 151) and Elementary Biblical Hebrew II (HEB 152).

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Elementary Biblical Hebrew I (HEB 151)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010- Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: read biblical Hebrew (alphabet, vowels, pronunciation); transliterate Hebrew words; parse and find the lexical form of verbs; explain the basics of verbal forms (by roots, pronouns, gender, number, verbal stems, tenses, verbal forms, such as infinitive, participle); understand basic syntax of Hebrew; understand basic morphology of Hebrew and analyze word formation; and read and translate selected biblical passages.

Instruction:

The primary goal of Elementary Biblical Hebrew I (HEB 151) is to introduce the elementary grammar forms, the regular verbal forms, the most frequent vocabulary, word formations and their inflection, and the characteristic syntax and other basic features of the language. Topics may include: the Hebrew alphabet; writing - print and cursive; the vowel system (including vowel reduction); reading; the noun - gender and number; independent (personal) pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; interrogative pronouns; nominal sentence; the syntactic order; noun-adjective; the definite article; the conjunction vav; some prepositions; construct case; pronominal suffixes; verb - overview; qatal pattern (the strong verb) of Pa'al (Qal); and the direct object marker.

Credit recommendation:

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 4 semester hours in Biblical or Classical Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation).

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Elementary Biblical Hebrew II (HEB 152)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

In addition to the objectives for Elementary Biblical Hebrew I (HEB 151), students will be able to: parse and find the lexical form of more complex verbs; explain the verbal forms (by roots, pronouns, gender, number, verbal stems, tenses, verbal forms, such as infinitive, participle); extend the knowledge of syntax of biblical Hebrew; and analyze word formation.

Instruction:

Students further their knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The primary goal of the elementary level II is to build on the materials introduced in elementary level I and add more complex aspects of biblical Hebrew. Topics may include: mastering the (verb) Qatal pattern (the strong verb) in the Binyanim (stems); Yiqtol patterns of the strong verb active participle; forms of the imperative in the strong verb; and pronominal suffixes with verbs (accusative pronouns).

Credit recommendation:

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 4 semester hours in Biblical or Classical Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation).

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Elementary Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 101)

Length:

Classroom-based or distance learning course administered through Genesis University.

Dates:

April 2010 - Present.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: understand short, memorized phrases and some sentence length utterances in face to face conversations with native speakers and each other; comprehend basic questions, statements and high frequency commands found in daily behavior involving family, school, leisure time activities; engage in basic communicative exchanges, mainly through recombination or expansion of learned material; describe daily actions, appearances from an established word bank; respond within conversations in full sentences that demonstrate proper syntactical usage with nouns and verbs- number and gender agreement; ask questions, cope with simple survival situations such as ordering a basic meal, asking for directions, or buying clothes; recognize Hebrew letters in both print and script; read familiar sight words effortlessly; decode unfamiliar words and phrases using root and contextual clues; begin to recognize basic grammatical structures when vocabulary is known or supplied and even extract meaning from a string of simple connected sentences; write simple, fixed expressions and limited memorized materials and some recombination thereof; write several sentences about themselves and their personal world; answer questions from oral and written prompts; write names, numbers, and other simple autobiographical information, as well as some short phrases and simple lists; recombine memorized materials into simple statements, short descriptive sentences or basic questions.

Instruction:

Elementary Modern Hebrew I (MHEB 101) introduces English-speaking students to Modern Hebrew. The primary objective of this course is to help learners acquire some basic skills in Hebrew for the purposes of oral and written communication and reading comprehension. Major topics include: communicative subjects: introducing people and oneself; greetings; finding information about people and places; professions; leisure time activities; description of people and places; counting and food; linguistic subjects: the Hebrew Alphabet; nouns: number and gender features; pronouns: singular and plural; question words (who, what, where, how, when); demonstrative pronouns: singular and plural; prepositions, particles and suffixes: from, of, for, and, the, at/in, to, with; present tense verb form: singular and plural; definite article; expression of possession; concept of root and root classification; noun-adjective agreement; numbers.

Credit recommendation:

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 4 semester hours in Modern Hebrew (5/10) (5/15 revalidation) (11/22 revalidation).

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