The Hebrew language curriculum at IUB consist of a four-year sequence of Language and Literature courses. The undergraduate courses are offered through the Borns Jewish Studies Program and the Graduate courses are offered through the NELC (Near Eastern Languages and Cultures) Department. Undergraduate students may earn a Minor in Hebrew through the Borns Jewish Studies Program.
The Hebrew Program offers two language tracks:
In both language tracks, courses must be taken in sequence. Except for the JSTU-H100/NELC-H500 course, all other courses have prerequisites which require students to successfully complete lower language levels.
Both language tracks share the same first year courses (JSTU-H100 and JSTU-H150 for the undergraduate students, and NELC-H500 and NELC-H550 for the graduate students). Each of these language tracks offers a different second year course-sequence (JSTU-H200/NELC-H500 and JSTU-H250/NELC-H550 for the Modern Hebrew Track, and JSTU-B200/NELC-N473 and JSTU-H250/NELC-N517 for the Biblical Hebrew Track).
Hebrew language courses are offered at the 100 through the 400 levels for undergraduates, and the 500 through the 600 levels for graduate students. The undergraduate 100-200 level courses comprise the first two years and satisfy the foreign language requirement, in both the Modern Hebrew and the Biblical Hebrew language tracks. These courses meet with the 500 and 600 level courses, for the graduate students, respectively.
The first year courses at the 100/500 level are offered 4 times a week Monday-Thursday during the morning and early afternoon hours. Each meeting is 50 minutes. Classes are conducted in small groups normally of 20 or less students, allowing personal focus and frequent verbal communication between the instructors and the students in the class. Instructors are thus able to develop a personal relationship with each student in class. Classes are conducted in the target language: solely in Hebrew. This allows students to acquire the language faster and reach a solid level of understanding, by offering many daily opportunities to speak, read and write in the language, right from the very beginning. For details on the exact courses offered this semester, please see the course descriptions.
The second year courses at the 200/600 level are offered 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday during the morning and early afternoon hours. Each meeting is 50 minutes. Classes are conducted in small groups normally of 20 or less students, allowing personal focus and attention to every student through frequent verbal communication between the instructor and the students in class. Instructors are thus able to develop a personal relationship with each student in class. Classes are conducted solely in Hebrew. This allows students to acquire the language faster and develop strong conversational abilities, while also supporting their reading and writing skill development. For details on the exact courses offered this semester, please see the course descriptions.
The third year courses at the 300/600 level are offered 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday during the morning or early afternoon hours. Each meeting is 50 minutes. Classes are conducted in small groups normally of 15 or less students, allowing personal focus and attention to every student through frequent verbal communication between the instructor and the students in class. Instructors are thus able to develop a personal relationship with each student in class. Classes are conducted solely in Hebrew. This allows students to acquire the language faster and develop strong conversational abilities, while also supporting their reading and writing skill development. For details on the exact courses offered this semester, please see the course descriptions.
Hebrew language courses operate on a yearly cycle, where different levels are offered during the fall and the spring semester. The spring courses are a direct continuation of the fall classes, and should hence be taken in sequence. To determine whether students may start their Hebrew studies in the fall or should skip to the spring semester, students with prior Hebrew background are required to take the Hebrew placement exam. This exam determines if students may skip a level, by receiving special credit for that level.
The Hebrew Placement Exam is a written exam which may take up-to 60 minutes. It is currently offered four times a year: the exam is offered at the beginning of each semester and once before the registration period starts during the course of the semester. To see the next exam session check the Hebrew placement exam schedule. To sign-up for the next available exam session, please email the Hebrew Program Director of Hebrew Language (Ayelet Weiss), at ayweiss@indiana.edu.
Students who have any prior Hebrew knowledge must take the Hebrew Placement Exam, before starting their Hebrew studies at IUB. The exam determines whether students may skip any language levels and receive special credit for those levels. Aside from awarding special credit, the exam may also fulfill course prerequisites, required to enroll in a Hebrew course beyond the very elementary level, and at the intermediate or advanced levels.
The Hebrew program at IUB offers certain activities to build and strengthen Hebrew language use.
The Hebrew program offers lab sessions, where students can individually practice the material they learn, outside the classroom setting, at their own pace. To use the lab sessions, students must be enrolled in a Hebrew course during the semester.
The Hebrew Program offers tutorial services for students who are currently enrolled in the Hebrew Language courses. This service allows students to receive weekly assistance from other Hebrew language students, who study at a higher language level. This service is provided free of charge and is supervised by the Hebrew language faculty. Tutorial sessions are offered once a week, during the weeks of the semester. Tutors and tutees are paired-up by the program and continue to work together throughout the semester. Students who enjoy this service must therefore commit to meeting their tutor on a regular basis, every week, at a predetermined time and location. Each tutor and each tutee determine their own meeting time and place. Students interested in being a tutor in Hebrew should contact the Hebrew Program Director, Ayelet Weiss, at ayweiss@indiana.edu. Hebrew Tutors may receive credit for tutoring students in a given semester. For additional details about such credit, please contact the Hebrew Program director. Students who want to benefit from this language tutorial service, in order to strengthen their language skills and abilities, may contact their own language teacher to request the service, or may contact the Hebrew Program director at ayweiss@indiana.edu.
Students who take Hebrew language courses at other higher education institutions may apply to transfer that credit to IUB. Such credit may be transferred from anywhere in the world, and may apply as Hebrew language credit, instead of taking a Hebrew language course at IUB. In order to apply for such credit, students must fill out a Hebrew Credit Application Form and submit their course materials and their official transcripts, along with their application. This application should be completed as soon as possible after students complete such studies, and should be submitted to the Hebrew Program Director, upon the student's return to campus. Students who go through the Overseas Studies Program will receive credit for their Hebrew courses; however, such credit does not count instead of a Hebrew course at IUB. In order to receive credit which counts in lieu of a Hebrew course at IUB, it is necessary to apply for such credit directly with the Jewish Studies Program. For further details please check the Hebrew Credit Application Form, or email the Hebrew Program Director, Ayelet Weiss, at ayweiss@indiana.edu.
Students who attend the IU-Jerusalem Program, at the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, may receive Hebrew credit for all of their Hebrew courses in Jerusalem, if they take the Intensive Language Courses. Students who do not take the Intensive Language Courses in Jerusalem, or who take Hebrew courses at any other institute, would likely need to take a proficiency exam, in order to determine the exact Hebrew credit they might receive for their transferred courses. Each such credit will be determined based on the student’s Hebrew Credit Application, on a case-by-case basis, while taking into consideration the levels a student had studied, the grades received, and the results of the Hebrew proficiency exam. The final credit decision is made by the Hebrew Program Director. This decision will determine the exact Hebrew credit distribution on the student’s IU-transcript, including all awarded credit for any Hebrew courses taken at other Universities.
This section will display the frequently asked questions students present, regarding any Hebrew courses, Hebrew language policies, or Hebrew Language opportunities.
This section will also contain information about available Hebrew resources on campus and on the web.
This section is currently under construction.
The Hebrew Language offices are located within the Borns Jewish Studies Program offices in Goodbody Hall and the Memorial Hall buildings, on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University.
Ayelet Weiss
Hebrew Program Director
Senior Lecturer of Hebrew
Office: Goodbody Hall 312
Phone: 812-855-2338
Email: ayweiss@indiana.edu
Michal Maoz-Levy
Lecturer of Hebrew
Office: Memorial Hall West 008
Phone: 812-856-1936
Email: mmaoz@indiana.edu
Rachel Naor, Phd.
Lecturer of Hebrew
Office: Memorial Hall West 009
Phone: 812-856-1431
Email: rnaor@indiana.edu
