Undergraduate Catalog 2005 - 2006

Hebrew (HEB)

Head of Department:  Professor David K. Herzberger
Department Office:  Room 228, J.H. Arjona Building

Consult the Departmental Handbook for courses being offered and further descriptions of these courses.
 
149-150. Elementary Biblical Hebrew I and II

Both semesters. Four credits each semester. Four class periods. Not open for credit to students who have had three or more years of Hebrew in high school. Students who wish to continue in Hebrew but feel ill prepared should contact the head of the Modern and Classical Languages department. 

An introduction to the biblical language for the student with no previous background. Grammar and drills, using simple texts, prepare the student for independent reading of Hebrew Scripture in the original.

151-152. Elementary Modern Hebrew I and II

Both semesters. Four credits each semester. Four class periods and one 1-hour laboratory practice. Not open for credit to students who have had three or more years of Hebrew in high school.

Elementary Hebrew grammar. Drill in pronunciation. Reading of simple texts. Practice in easy conversation.

153-154. Intermediate Hebrew I and II

Both semesters. Four credits each semester. Four class periods and one 1-hour laboratory practice. Prerequisite: HEB 152 or the equivalent.

Review of elementary Hebrew grammar. Graded composition and translation. Intensive and extensive reading. Oral practice in the language. The basic structure patterns of Hebrew.

251-252. Advanced Hebrew

Both semesters. Three credits each semester. Prerequisite: HEB 154 or consent of instructor.

Further grammar study. Practice in composition involving the use of everyday vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Readings in Hebrew culture and history.

Hebrew Civilization
(in English)

None of the following courses may be used to meet the foreign language requirement.

101. The Land of Israel from Biblical Times to the Present

(Also offered as JUDS 101.) Either semester. Three credits. Offered in alternate years. Miller

An in-depth look at the history, culture and civilizations of the land of Israel. The importance of the land in Judaism and its significance for Christianity and Islam will be discussed. Lectures and discussion will be enhanced by slide presentations.

103. Literature and Civilization of the Jewish People

(Also offered as JUDS 103.) Either semester. Three credits. Miller

The major concepts, personalities and literary works of the Hebraic tradition from the Biblical and Talmudic periods to the present.
CA 1, CA 4.

104. Modern Jewish Thought

(Also offered as JUDS 104.) Second semester. Three credits.

Nationalism, culture, ethics and philosophy in the writings of the major Jewish thinkers from Spinoza to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the work of Moses Mendelssohn, Nachman Krochmal, Ahad Haam, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber and Mordecai Kaplan.

201. Selected Books of the Hebrew Bible

(Also offered as JUDS 201.) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: INTD 294 or HIST 213 or HEB 103, which may be taken concurrently, or consent of instructor. A knowledge of Hebrew is not required. May be repeated with change of content and consent of instructor. Miller

Focuses on a biblical book (or books) and emphasizes its literary structure and content using modern approaches as well as midrashic and medieval exegesis. Historical and archaeological material introduced where relevant.

202. Sects and Movements in Judaism

(Also offered as JUDS 202). Either semester. Three credits. Offered in alternate years.

Varieties of Jewish expression and belief from Biblical times to the present. Topics include: the Dead Sea Sect, Pharisees, Sadducees, Karaites, Marranos, Hasidism and the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist movements of the modern era.

203. The Holocaust

(Also offered as JUDS 203). Either semester. Three credits.

A discussion of the Holocaust to be preceded by an examination of the roots of anti-semitism and its effect upon the Jewish experience. Special emphasis will be given to the impact of the Holocaust on Jewish and Christian thought.

218. Palestine Under the Greeks and Romans

(Also offered as CAMS 256,  HIST 218, and JUDS 218). Either semester. Three credits. Recommended preparation: HIST 213 or 214 or 216 or INTD 294 or HEB 202. Miller

The political, historical and religious currents in Greco-Roman Palestine. Includes the Jewish Revolts; sectarian developments, the rise of Christianity and the Talmudic academies.

277. The Culture of East European Jewry

First semester. Three credits. 

The life, folklore, literature and thought of the Jews of Poland and Russia from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The distinctive contributions of both the Jewish little-town (shtetl) and the larger urban community will be explored.

279. Literature of Modern Israel

Second semester. Three credits.

The major themes and literary achievements of modern Hebrew writing. Authors to be emphasized include Feierberg, Bialik, Brenner, Berdichevsky, Tschernichowsky, Agnon, Greenberg, and Alterman.

193. Foreign Study

Either or both semesters. Credits and hours by arrangement. May be repeated for credit. Consent of Department Head required, normally before the student's departure.

Special topics taken in a foreign study program.

293. Foreign Study

Either or both semesters. Credits and hours by arrangement. May be repeated for credit. Consent of Department Head required, normally granted prior to the student's departure. May count toward the major with consent of the advisor.

Special topics taken in a foreign study program.

295. Variable Topics

Either semester. Three credits. With a change in topic, may be repeated for credit. Prerequisites and recommended preparation vary.

298. Special Topics

Either semester. Credits and hours by arrangement. With a change in content, may be repeated for credit. Prerequisites and recommended preparation vary.

299. Independent Study

Either or both semesters. Credits and hours by arrangement. Open only with consent of instructor. With a change in content, may be repeated for credit.

Study Abroad in Israel

Students may spend a semester or academic year at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa or Ben Gurion Universities. Students should take at least one semester of Hebrew at UConn before studying abroad. The University also sponsors an archaelogical excavation at Sepphoris during the month of June. This is a six-credit program.