HBR 101 Beginning Modern Hebrew 1

Fall 2022, Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:45, online

Course Description: A systematic study of the basics of the Hebrew language. Equal emphasis is placed on developing reading, listening,  comprehension, speaking, and writing skills. For students with minimal or no previous knowledge of Modern Hebrew.

No prerequisites.

General Education: Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives.

This course is open to everyone. No previous knowledge of Hebrew, Israel or Judaism is required.

This course covers the basics of the Hebrew language by developing reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. 

This course also includes the study of Jewish culture in the U.S. and Israel, especially as a minority culture in the U.S.

Hebrew 101 satisfies a requirement for the Language Track of the Judaic Studies Minor, as well as the General Education (Gen.Ed.) requirement for Cultural Diversity or International Perspectives.

Students will learn through the use of books, music, watching brief videos, doing homework and participating in classroom activities. Also, for extra credit, students will be invited to events (on campus and off campus) to learn more about Jewish culture and/or to hear and read the Hebrew language. These may include discussions, speakers, Jewish holiday celebrations and other activities. Students are not required to attend any of these events outside of class.

The goal of this course is for students to able to:

  1. Engage in simple conversations
  2. Read and write basic Hebrew.
  3. Describe (in English and some in Hebrew) many cultural products and practices of Jewish culture in Israel and the United States.

Instructor

HBR 102 Beginning Modern Hebrew 2

Spring 2023, Tuesday & Thursday, TBD

Course Description: This course continues the work of HBR 101 with continued study of the basics of the Hebrew language with equal emphasis on developing reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills.

Prerequisite: Hebrew 101 or other previous Hebrew background, as approved by the instructor.

This course also continues the study of Jewish culture in the U.S. and Israel, especially as a minority culture in the U.S.

This course satisfies a requirement for the Language Track of the Judaic Studies Minor, as well as the General Education (Gen.Ed.) requirement for Cultural Diversity or International Perspectives. This is a 3 credit course.

Students will learn through the use of a book, stories, music, supplemental materials, websites, and classroom activities. Students will also be using Bright Space, UMaine’s learning platform (LMS). Students will also be invited to events (on campus and off campus) to learn more about Jewish culture and/or to hear and read the Hebrew language. These may include discussions, speakers, Jewish holiday celebrations and other activities. While not required to attend any of these events outside of class, students may be offered extra credit for attending events and answering questions about the events.

Student Learning Outcomes: Building upon what was learned in HBR 101, students will demonstrate proficiency by being able to do the following:

  1. Engage in conversations on a wider variety of topics with a richer vocabulary, especially with a greater diversity of verb forms.
  2. Read more complex Hebrew conversations, stories, holiday blessings and/or modern articles than in HBR 101 and with greater fluidity and understanding.
  3. Write more expanded and complex sentences than in Hebrew 101.
  4. Describe more cultural products and practices of Jewish culture found in Israel and the United States.
  5. Demonstrate a greater understanding of Jewish culture as a non-dominant culture in the Diaspora and as the dominant culture of Israel, the only Jewish state in the world.