This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.
Courses
Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018
In this beginners' course students will learn to speak, read, and write Yiddish. Following the communicative method, students will focus in class on oral communication by playing out short dialogues. Grammar will be taught inductively, based on examples that have already become familiar. The course will offer an introduction to Yiddish culture through a variety of songs, stories, film clips, and other illustrations. By the end of the semester, students should be able to express themselves with some sophistication about a variety of topics in the present tense and also understand the past tense.
Elementary Yiddish: Read More [+]
Objectives & Outcomes
Course Objectives: This course will teach Yiddish in the context of modern Yiddish culture. Students will learn the vocabulary and grammar necessary to communicate about several important topics (studies, family, living situation etc.). By the end of this course, students will be able to:
interact with native speakers and discuss familiar topics;
write in simple language about familiar topics;
read and understand simple texts about familiar topics;
read and understand more complex authentic texts using context and reading strategies.
Students are expected to participate actively both in class and separately when working on group assignments.
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for YIDDISH 101 after completing YIDDISH 1.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Yiddish/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019
Further intensive study of Yiddish, building on the foundation established in 101. Advanced grammar and introduction to the reading of original texts.
Intermediate Yiddish: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Yiddish 101 or equivalent
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Yiddish 102 after passing Yiddish 2.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Yiddish/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
This course will trace the development of Yiddish culture from the first settlement of Jews in German lands through centuries of life in Eastern Europe, down to the main cultural centers today in Israel and America. The course will examine how changes in Jewish life have found expression in the Yiddish language. It will provide an introduction to Yiddish literature in English translation, supplemented by excursions into Yiddish music, folklore, theater, and film.
History of Yiddish Culture in English: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 102 or equivalent, or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Yiddish/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.