How To Learn Hebrew

Transcription

1 Information Pack A Detailed Survey of the Biblical Hebrew Course Level A Given by eteacher Group and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Contact Information: Have a question or comment on the registration process or our online courses? Feel free to contact us at the following numbers: Toll Free Number in the US and Canada: Toll Free Number in the UK: France: Russia: Germany: Brazil: Israel: Worldwide: We may also be reached via at advisor@eteachergroup.com. 8 Aholiav St. Ramat Gan, 52522, Israel

2 Dear Students, Shalom! Greetings! My name is Ohad Cohen. As the Academic Director of eteacher s Biblical Hebrew Program and the author of our ancient languages curriculum, I would like to welcome you to the fascinating world of Biblical Hebrew, a discipline that I have been studying, researching, and teaching for what is now over 10 years at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Ohad Cohen, Academic Director eteacherbiblical.com and Scholar in-residence & Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hebrew is indeed a beautiful language with a rich history. Learning Biblical Hebrew will allow you to read the Old Testament in an unmediated fashion. In other words, acquiring this ancient tongue will enable you to comprehend the original meaning of the B ible without having to rely on translations. eteacher s Biblical Hebrew Program is the fruit of six rewarding years of hard work. Our objective is to teach the language within the context of the Biblical narrative. By virtue of this proven method, you will experience how Hebrew sheds light on the Scriptures. Without further ado, I cordially invite you to join us on this Biblical journey over the Internet! Sincerely, Dr. Ohad Cohen eteachergroup.com Page 2 of 9

3 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in conjunction with eteacher is pleased to offer the Biblical Hebrew Level A course: About eteacher/hebrew University of Jerusalem: eteacher is the leading online Hebrew Academy and is affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Education and Foreign Affairs, teaching Hebrew in over 120 countries worldwide for over 10 years. eteacher is also affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel s most prestigious institute of higher education, research and the leading academic institute for teaching Hebrew worldwide. How is it done? eteacher s language courses are given live and online by certified teachers, most of whom reside in Israel. Students use their personal computer to log into virtual inter-active classrooms using our simple and user friendly video-conferencing technology. Each class is comprised of small groups of between 5-10 students, so that each individual merits personal attention from the teacher. In order to watch a quick video click here. Structure and Duration: The class meets once a week over an 8-month period, and each session is 55 minutes long. In addition, students can take advantage of our complimentary enrichment sessions, which are designed for Q&A and extra practice. All lessons are recorded, so if you miss a class or want another look, the video is but a click away. We encourage our students to participate in our online forum 24\7, for posting inquiries on course related issues. This service is moderated by members of our pedagogic staff. Course Material: The course textbook, which includes a glossary covering of the semester s vocabulary, are b oth mailed and ed to students before the semester begins. The electronic version of the text book contains a karaoke-style flash application that allows you to intone Biblical verses with the objective of improving your Hebrew diction. eteachergroup.com Page 3 of 9

4 Syllabus: The classroom focuses on reading the Bible in its original language. Over the course of the semester, students learn the Hebrew alphabet and vowels, familiarize themselves with the elementary noun and verbal paradigms, and acquire 450 common Biblical Hebrew words. Even grammatical topics are taught within the framework of some of the Bible s most compelling stories. By the end of the term, students will possess a basic vocabulary, be able to read and pronounce all the letters and vowels of the alphabet, and have a working knowledge of the language s elementary syntactical features. Last but not least, you will acquire a deep sense for the original Hebrew meaning of the Biblical stories. Faculty: Academic Director: Dr. Ohad Cohen, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Teachers: Most of our teachers live in Israel. All of them have strong academic backgrounds in both Hebrew linguistics and Bible studies. Resumes of every faculty member can be found at: Technical support: Should a problem arise, technical support is available 24/7. Customer Service: Our customer service work 24/7 to ensure efficient and imidiet problem solving, you can always speak to a human being to assist you in anyway. Requirements (who should attend?): This course is open to anyone over the age of 18. The only prerequisite for this course is a working knowledge of English the language of instruction. In any event, if it turns out that a student is unsuited for a particular level, the teacher will immediately transfer him or her to the appropriate class (at no extra charge). eteachergroup.com Page 4 of 9

5 Academic Credits from the Hebrew University: Students are more than welcome to take this course for 3 academic credits from The Hebrew Univ ersity of Jerusalem. To earn these points, students must meet the University s attendance requirements, hand in a mid-term assignment, and take the final exam (see the Academic Requirements appendix B for more details). Course Price, Date and Local Time: Courses open every month. Classes are available during the week and on Sundays, during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours. Information about course prices, payments plans, dates and local time is available on our online registration form, second page. Fill in the details in the first page including Country and State, press Next and you will see the class schedule in your time zone and course prices. eteacher accepts all major international credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express). Students can also use PayPal or transfer the money directly into the company s bank account. Contact Information for registration: Toll Free Number in the US and Canada: Toll Free Number in the UK: France: Russia: Germany: Brazil: Israel: Worldwide: We may also be reached via at advisor@eteachergroup.com. eteachergroup.com Page 5 of 9

6 Appendix A: Lesson Summary No. Unit Name Unit Description 1 The Hebrew Alphabet: Then and Now 2 The Hebrew Alphabet, Continued 3 The Hebrew Vowels 4 The Vowels E-I-O-U 5 The 'Dagesh' and Syllable Division 6 Nouns and Adjectives Welcome! After introducing ourselves, we will start to learn about the history of the Hebrew alphabet. We will discuss its relationship with the Latin alphabet and learn our first 8 Hebrew letters. In our second unit we will continue to learn about the Hebrew alphabet and cover the rest of it. At the end of the unit we will be able to recognize all 23 of the Hebrew letters. After learning the letters and consonants we will begin to learn about the Hebrew vowels. We will start with the history of the Hebrew vowels notation and get familiar with the first vowel, [a]. In this unit we will continue with the rest of the Hebrew vowels and learn about the vowels [e-i-o-u]. We can already start to read short verses from the story of the creation (Genesis 1). After discussing the Hebrew consonants and vowels we will learn how Hebrew marks gemination (doubling of a consonant) and how to divide words into syllables. We will also read and discuss verses from the story of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3). Now, after we are able to read and pronounce the Hebrew sounds, we will turn to discussing the morphology of Hebrew words. We will start with the nouns and adjectives and learn about their basic forms and grammar. We will learn these issues while continuing the discussion on the story of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3). 7 The 'Shewa' In this unit we will go back a little to the realm of the sounds and learn about another vocalic sign, the 'Shewa'. We will discuss this sign within the framework 8 Hebrew Word Structure 9 A Few More Vowels 10 The Definite Article of the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). The question discussed in this unit is - how does Hebrew create words? We will learn about the Hebrew terms 'Shoresh' (root) and Mishqal (pattern). We will also read and discuss a few verses from the story of the flood (Genesis 6-8). In this unit we will complete the phonological part by learning a few more vowels: the short vowel [o] (qamatz- qatan) and the reduced vowels. We will learn how to recognize them while discussing the story of Jacob s dream (Genesis 28). How does Hebrew mark the difference between a boy and the boy? This is the question that will we try to answer in unit 10. We will return to reading and discussing verses from the story of the creation (Genesis 1) and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). eteachergroup.com Page 6 of 9

7 No. Unit Name Unit Description 11 The Definite Article, Con't & Some Prepositions In this unit we will continue to discuss some other aspects of the definite article. We will also learn how Hebrew combines the definite article with some prepositions, while discussing verses from the story of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3). 12 Construct Chains What is the difference between a wood chest and a chest of wood? In this unit we learn how Hebrew marks the of relationship. We will illustrate this 13 Plural Construct Chains 14 Independent Personal Pronouns 15 Pronominal Suffixes 16 The Definite Construct 17 Nominal Sentences 18 Nominal Sentences, Con't relationship discussing some verses from Genesis. How does Hebrew mark the of relationship in plural words? In this unit we will answer this question. We will also read and discuss the story of Cain and Abel. I, you, he, she In this unit we will learn about the Hebrew independent personal pronouns. We will illustrate these pronouns within the framework of the story of Cain and Abel. In this unit we will learn how Hebrew marks the differences between: my horse, your horse and his horse. We will also discuss how Hebrew symbolized the connection between the dove and Noah (Genesis 8). The question that we will answer in this unit is how Hebrew marks the difference between THE son of Jesse and A son of Jesse. We will illustrate these constructions within the framework of the story of Hagar (Genesis 21). Why doesn't Hebrew need a verb in order to create a sentence? In this unit we will learn how Hebrew creates nominal sentences. We will also discuss what happened between Jacob and Rachel near the well (Genesis 29). In this unit we will meet different ways to create nominal sentences in Hebrew. We will demonstrate how the author of Proverbs 6:23 plays with nominal sentences in order to design a challenging proverb. 19 Review: Ruth The goal of this unit is to slow down a little bit and to look backward to what we achieved until now. We will review the previous grammatical materials with the framework of the story of Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1). How can the characters names illuminate the story? This will be one of the questions that we will ask ourselves. 20 Qatal Verbs After discussing Hebrew nouns and adjectives, in this unit we will start the third part of the first course 'The verb'. We will learn about the morphology of the suffix conjugation called Qatal. We will see that there is a clear connection between the different persons and the independent pronouns. 21 Translating Qatal What is the meaning of the Qatal form, and how do we translate it into English? These will be the questions that we will ask in this unit. We will also learn how Hebrew marks the definite direct object. We will illustrate these topics using a variety of verses from the Bible. eteachergroup.com Page 7 of 9

8 No. Unit Name Unit Description 22 Translating Qatal, Con't 23 Review: Ruth, Con't In this unit we will continue with the questions concerning the meaning and the translation of the Qatal form. We will discover how this form performs in different sentences and how Hebrew is different from English in this point. Why did Naomi want to change her name to Mara? What happened to Ruth and Naomi when they returned from Moab? These will be part of the questions that we will answer in this review unit. The discussion will enable us to review the previous units. (Ruth 1-2) 24 Yiqtol Verbs The second verbal form that we will learn is the prefix conjugation called Yiqtol. In this unit we will learn how to recognize this form and how Hebrew marks the different persons in it. We will discover that also in this form there is a clear connection between the different persons and the independent pronouns. 25 Translating Yiqtol What is the meaning of the Yiqtol form, and how do we translate it into English? These will be the questions that we will ask in this unit. We will illustrate these topics using a variety of verses from the Bible. 26 Translating Yiqtol, Con't 27 Review: Ruth, Con't In this unit we will continue with the questions concerning the meaning and the translation of the Yiqtol form. We will discover how this form performs in different sentences and how Hebrew is different from English in this point. What is the semantic connection between the resting place and Naomi s plans for Ruth? (Ruth 3:1) How is the author of the book playing with the connotations of the verbs 'to know' and 'to lay down'? These will be some of the questions that we will answer in this review unit. The discussion will enable us to review the previous units. (Ruth 3) 28 Wayyiqtol Verbs The third verbal form that we will learn is the form Wayyiqtol. In the first part of this unit we will learn how to recognize this form. In the second part we will discover what the meaning of this form is and how to translate it into English. We will illustrate its usages using a variety of verses from the Bible. 29 Weqatal Verbs The fourth verbal form that we will learn is the form Weqatal. In the first part of this unit we will learn how to recognize this form. In the second part we will 30 Where We've Been discover what the meaning of this form is and how to translate it into English. We will illustrate its usages using a variety of verses from the Bible. Where We've Been is the name of our last meeting in this course. In this meeting we'll go back through the course and see the long way that we have come from our first unit until now. Now that we are able to begin walking through the Bible, it is the time to say: Shalom! and see you in our coming course! eteachergroup.com Page 8 of 9

9 Appendix B: Requirements for Earning Academic Credits from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem A. General Each lesson is 55 minutes long. The semester consists of 31 meetings: 30 lessons and a final exam. Classes are held once a week, while taking into account the vacation schedule. B. Attendance All students must attend no less than 24 of the 03 sessions. Tardiness is unacceptable, and participants are expected to remain by their terminals throughout the entire class. The teacher will keep track of attendance. For the purpose of identification, students are required to operate a web camera at least a few times during the semester. Pupils who miss a class can catch up in one of two ways: o Ask the instructor to direct them to the lesson s homework in the Student Locker. o View a recording of the session, which may also be found in your Locker. C. Homework and Final Examination: The teacher will assign an obligatory mid-term exercise, which shall be graded. The final exam will be held after the semester, usually on the same hour and day in which the class regularly met. If the test is scheduled for a different time, the teacher will notify the students well in advance. D. Grades and Evaluations The final mark is comprised of the following factors: o Attendance and participation 20% o Mid-term assignment 30% o Final examination 50% * The minimum passing grade is 55. * Students who do not pass the course will be unable to advance to the next level. eteachergroup.com Page 9 of 9