Hebrew

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2017-18 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

Minor

The Department of Near Eastern Studies offers a minor in Hebrew. Students wishing to major in the study of Hebrew should do so as a concentration within the Near Eastern Languages and Literatures major.

The Hebrew minor offers two options. Option A is open to students with little or no background in the language. Option B is for students who have completed the equivalent of two years of university-level coursework in the language. For specific information regarding the requirements for each option, please see the Minor Requirements tab on this page.

Students may pursue a major in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Art History and a minor in one of the department's language programs, even though both are administered by the Department of Near Eastern Studies. However, students may not pursue a major in one of the Near Eastern Studies languages and a minor in another. Students may pursue the major in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures and a minor in Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Civilizations. 

Declaring the Minor

After finishing a minor, students are required to submit a Completion of L&S Minor form.

Other Majors and Minors offered by the Department of Near Eastern Studies

Ancient Egyptian Near Eastern Art and Archaeology (Major)
Near Eastern Civilizations (Major)  
Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (Major)
Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Civilizations (Minor)
Arabic (Minor)
Hebrew (Minor)
Persian (Minor)
Turkish (Minor)

Visit Department Website

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
  2. A minimum of three of the upper division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
  4. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
  5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
  6. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, please see a College of Letters & Science adviser.
  7. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements, Option A

Open to students with no background in the language.

Lower Division
HEBREW 1AElementary Hebrew5
HEBREW 1BElementary Hebrew5
HEBREW 20AIntermediate Hebrew5
HEBREW 20BIntermediate Hebrew5
Upper Division
HEBREW 100AAdvanced Hebrew3
HEBREW 100BAdvanced Hebrew3
HEBREW 104AModern Hebrew Literature and Culture3
HEBREW 104BModern Hebrew Literature and Culture3
One 1-semester course in Hebrew culture/history3
Total Units35

Requirements, Option B

Open to students who can demonstrate proficiency at a level equivalent to that expected of students who have successfully completed the elementary and intermediate courses in the language (two years of university-level coursework).

Upper Division
Five 1-semester courses in Hebrew language or literature 115
Two 1-semester courses in Hebrew culture/history 26
Total Units21
1

Texts must be in Hebrew.

2

The undergraduate adviser may approve external department substitution courses for the culture/history requirement.

Courses

Hebrew

HEBREW 1A Elementary Hebrew 5 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016

Elementary Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 1B Elementary Hebrew 5 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016

Elementary Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 10 Intensive Elementary Hebrew 10 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Summer 2007 10 Week Session, Summer 2007 8 Week Session, Summer 2006 10 Week Session
An intensive course in modern Israeli Hebrew. The course covers the basic syntactic and morphological patterns of modern Hebrew through the teaching and practice of communicative and interactive language skills in the four areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course is equivalent to two semesters of Hebrew in the regular academic year.
Intensive Elementary Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 11A Reading and Composition for Hebrew Speaking Students 5 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Designed for heritage students who possess oral skills (speaking/comprehension, though limited) but need to improve their writing and reading abilities, and expand their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and syntax. Completion of 11A-11B will prepare the student to take Hebrew 20A, Intermediate Hebrew.
Reading and Composition for Hebrew Speaking Students: Read More [+]

HEBREW 11B Reading and Composition for Hebrew-Speaking Students 5 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Designed for heritage students who possess oral skills (speaking/comprehension, though limited) but need to improve their writing and reading abilities, and expand their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and syntax. Completion of 11A-11B will prepare the student to take Hebrew 20A, Intermediate Hebrew.
Reading and Composition for Hebrew-Speaking Students: Read More [+]

HEBREW 20A Intermediate Hebrew 5 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016

Intermediate Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 20B Intermediate Hebrew 5 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2016, Spring 2015

Intermediate Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 30 Intermediate Hebrew 10 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Summer 1997 10 Week Session, Summer 1996 10 Week Session, Summer 1995 10 Week Session
This course is equivalent to a full year of intermediate Hebrew. It will deepen skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing modern Israeli Hebrew.
Intermediate Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 100A Advanced Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016
Advanced Hebrew, especially designed for those going on to the study of modern Hebrew literature. Vocabulary building, grammar review, and literary analysis of a sampling of modern texts.
Advanced Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 100B Advanced Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2015, Spring 2014
Advanced Hebrew, especially designed for those going on to the study of modern Hebrew literature. Vocabulary building, grammar review, and literary analysis of a sampling of modern texts.
Advanced Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 102A Postbiblical Hebrew Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2008, Fall 2002, Fall 1998
Texts from the rabbinic period (Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, and Midrash) and an introduction to the languages of rabbinic texts.
Postbiblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 102B Postbiblical Hebrew Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2011, Spring 2009
Texts from the rabbinic period (Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, and Midrash) and an introduction to the languages of rabbinic texts.
Postbiblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 103A Later Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2004
Study of midrashic, exegetical, halakhic (legal), poetic, apocalyptic, messianic, or historical texts.
Later Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 103B Later Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Study of midrashic, exegetical, halakhic (legal), poetic, apocalyptic, messianic, or historical texts.
Later Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 104A Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016
A close reading of selected works of modern Hebrew fiction, poetry, and drama in their cultural and historical contexts. Topics vary from year to year and include literature and politics, eros and gender, memory and nationalism, Middle-Eastern and European aspects of Israeli literature and culture.
Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture: Read More [+]

HEBREW 104B Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
A close reading of selected works of modern Hebrew fiction, poetry, and drama in their cultural and historical contexts. Topics vary from year to year and include literature and politics, eros and gender, memory and nationalism, Middle-Eastern and European aspects of Israeli literature and culture.
Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture: Read More [+]

HEBREW 105A The Structure of Modern Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 1999
An analysis of Hebrew grammar, syntax, semantics, morphology, history of the language, fixed expressions, discourse analysis, contrastive features of Hebrew and English in the context of contemporary linguistic theories.
The Structure of Modern Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 105B The Structure of Modern Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2011, Spring 2008
An analysis of Hebrew grammar, syntax, semantics, morphology, history of the language, fixed expressions, discourse analysis, contrastive features of Hebrew and English in the context of contemporary linguistic theories.
The Structure of Modern Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 106A Elementary Biblical Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew Bible.
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 106B Elementary Biblical Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew Bible.
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW N106 Elementary Biblical Hebrew 6 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Summer 2009 10 Week Session, Summer 2009 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2008 Second 6 Week Session
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew bible.
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW 107A Biblical Hebrew Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2011, Fall 2009
The tools and procedure of biblical exegesis applied to simple narrative texts.
Biblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 107B Biblical Hebrew Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2012, Spring 2010
The tools and procedure of biblical exegesis applied to simple narrative texts.
Biblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 111 Intermediate Biblical Texts 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A systematic study of the Prophets beginning with Isaiah.
Intermediate Biblical Texts: Read More [+]

HEBREW 148A The Art and Culture of the Talmud: Advanced Textual Analysis 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2002
In this course, we will read and analyze closely talmudic texts in the original languages--Hebrew and Aramaic--together with selected medieval commentaries. The primary focus of the course will be on the acquisition of facility in reading the Talmud, comprehension of philological and historical-cultural issues and methods of study, as well as understanding the formative relation of the Talmud to the structures and practices of traditional Jewish cultures.
The Art and Culture of the Talmud: Advanced Textual Analysis: Read More [+]

HEBREW 148B The Art and Culture of the Talmud: Advanced Textual Analysis 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2001
In this course, we will read and analyze closely talmudic texts in the original languages--Hebrew and Aramaic--together with selected medieval commentaries. The primary focus of the course will be on the acquisition of facility in reading the Talmud, comprehension of philological and historical-cultural issues and methods of study, as well as understanding the formative relation of the Talmud to the structures and practices of traditional Jewish cultures.
The Art and Culture of the Talmud: Advanced Textual Analysis: Read More [+]

HEBREW 190B Special Topics in Hebrew 3 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2011
Topics explore special themes and problems in Hebrew language and literature. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings are available through the department.
Special Topics in Hebrew: Read More [+]

HEBREW H195 Senior Honors 2 - 4 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2003
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

HEBREW 198 Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students 1 - 4 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2002, Fall 2001
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

HEBREW 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Offered through: Near Eastern Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2003, Spring 1999
Enrollment is restricted by regulations shown in the .
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

Wali Ahmadi, Associate Professor. Persian languages, Persian literature.
Research Profile

Asad Ahmed, Associate Professor. Islam (social and intellectual history).
Research Profile

Daniel Boyarin, Professor. Talmud, rhetoric, Christianity, genealogy of, invention of Judaism.
Research Profile

Ahmad Diab, Assistant Professor. Modern Arabic Literature.

Ronald Hendel, Professor. Textual criticism, Hebrew bible, ancient Near Eastern religion and mythology, Northwest Semitic linguistics.
Research Profile

Chana Kronfeld, Professor. Comparative literature, modernism, Hebrew, Yiddish, modern poetry, minor literatures, politics of literary history, feminist stylistics, intertextuality, translation studies.
Research Profile

Margaret Larkin, Professor. Near Eastern studies.
Research Profile

Rita Lucarelli, Assistant Professor. Egyptology.
Research Profile

Sabrina Sonia Maras, Assistant Adjunct Professor.

Maria Mavroudi, Professor. Byzantine studies.
Research Profile

Benjamin Porter, Assistant Professor. Archaeology, Near Eastern archaeology, Middle East, Arid Environments, anthropology, Heritage, tourism, and Museum Studies.
Research Profile

Carol A. Redmount, Associate Professor. Egyptology.
Research Profile

Carol Redmount, Associate Professor. Near Eastern Studies.

Francesca Rochberg, Professor. History of science, ancient near east, cuneiform studies.
Research Profile

Niek Veldhuis, Professor. Digital humanities, intellectual history, Sumerian, cuneiform.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Rutie Adler, Lecturer.

Hatem A. Bazian, Lecturer. Near Eastern studies.
Research Profile

Chava Boyarin, Lecturer.

Elsa Elmahdy, Lecturer.

Gholam-Reza Ghahramani, Lecturer.

John L. Hayes, Lecturer.

Lissette M. Jimenez, Lecturer.

Nawal M. Laymoun, Lecturer.

Sanjyot Mehendale, Lecturer. Near Eastern studies, Central Asia, Central Asian studies, archaeology and art history.
Research Profile

Haitham S. Mohamed, Lecturer.

Laurie Pearce, Lecturer.

Barbara Richter, Lecturer.

Jason Christopher Vivrette, Lecturer.

Visiting Faculty

Manuel Duarte De Oliveira, Visiting Professor.

Emeritus Faculty

Ayla Algar, Lecturer Emeritus. Turkish language and literature, language pedagogy.

Hamid Algar, Professor Emeritus.

Robert B. Alter, Professor Emeritus. Comparative literature, Near Eastern studies, 19th-century European and American novel, modernism, literary aspects of the bible, modern and biblical Hebrew literature.
Research Profile

Guitty Azarpay, Professor Emeritus. Art and archaeology of the ancient Near East and Central Asia.
Research Profile

Ariel A. Bloch, Professor Emeritus.

Wolfgang J. Heimpel, Professor Emeritus. Near Eastern studies.
Research Profile

Anne D. Kilmer, Professor Emeritus.

David Larkin, Lecturer Emeritus. Egyptology.

James T. Monroe, Professor Emeritus.

Jaleh Pirnazar, Lecturer Emeritus. Modern Iranian history. Persian language and literature, Iranian Cinema.

Martin Schwartz, Professor Emeritus. Near Eastern studies.
Research Profile

Muhammad Siddiq, Professor Emeritus. Near Eastern studies.
Research Profile

David B. Stronach, Professor Emeritus.

Contact Information

Department of Near Eastern Studies

250 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-642-3757

Fax: 510-643-8430

nes@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Department Chair and Associate Professor of Egyptian Archaeology

Carol A. Redmount, PhD

242 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-642-3757

redmount@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Adviser for Islamic, Arabic, Hebrew, & Persian Studies and Professor of Persian Literature

Wali Ahmadi

284 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-642-3757

ahmadi@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Assistant

Rania Shah

250 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-642-3758

rshah@berkeley.edu

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