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Hebrew College Online |
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Courses |
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Online Course Listings 2007–2008
Fall 2007 COURSES
All courses, except for Hebrew language and Framework courses, assume a capability for graduate level study and a basic background in Jewish studies. Gateway and core text courses require knowledge of Hebrew equivalent to Hebrew IV (campus-based instruction) or Hebrew V Online.
Dates for fall courses are September 5 - December 19, unless otherwise noted.
A pioneer in bringing Jewish learning to the Internet, Hebrew College Online (HCO) has offered distance learning courses since 1995. Students may take one course at a time, earn a master’s degree online or integrate classroom-based courses with online counterparts to complete degree or certificate programs.
The most comprehensive Hebrew program available on the Internet, HCO offers five levels of online Hebrew language instruction. All online courses are designed to emulate the quality interaction that faculty and students experience on campus and are backed by user-friendly technical support.
Orientation to Online Study at Hebrew College
August 22 - September 4
INTD 101
Note: Mandatory for new online students, except for Hebrew Mekhina participants.
What does it take to become a successful online student? How does online study differ from classroom-based study? This two-week seminar will introduce students to all aspects of online study at Hebrew College. The class will cover hardware, software, Internet skills, course components and navigation, methods of interaction and virtual class discussion, scheduling and time considerations, Hebrew College library resources, conducting searches and research on the Internet and an introduction to the Jewish Internet and the Hebrew College help desk. Access to selected course(s) will become available once orientation is completed.
Mekhina (Preparation) for Hebrew Language
Staff
noncredit only
HEBRW 010
Note: Offered online for both online and campus-based students. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is required. If you have some prior Hebrew study experience, but are not ready for Hebrew I, you may be able to join the Mekhina mid-semester. Please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@hebrewcollege.edu or 617-559-8610.
This course is designed to serve as an introduction to Hebrew language study and to ensure that students with some prior Hebrew study experience begin Hebrew I at comparable levels. The Mekhina introduces the Hebrew alphabet and vowels, as well as verbs and syntax sufficient for conducting simple daily conversation. Students submit oral and written homework and take online quizzes. Weekly real-time class discussions are conducted by the instructor with small groups of students. The course covers the seven introductory units of Ivrit Min Hahatchala (Hebrew from Scratch), the textbook used by Hebrew College’s campus-based and online Hebrew language programs.
Hebrew I Online
Levy
4 undergraduate credits or non-credit
HEBRW 110
Prerequisite: Hebrew Mekhina or placement test.
This course ends January 2, 2008.
If you were last enrolled in an online Hebrew course prior to fall 2007, please read for important registration information.
This course enables students to recognize and use fundamental structures of Hebrew grammar and morphology, and to acquire the necessary vocabulary for basic conversation and reading of modern and classical texts. All language skills are mastered through elementary syntactic and grammatical structures. Students will learn the basic verbs in the different common active verb groups and their conjugation in the present and past tense. Students will read and listen to stories and dialogues, and participate in guided class discussions. Based on topics introduced in the lessons, students will write their own dialogues and passages. All language skills are mastered through more advanced syntactic and grammatical structures.
Hebrew II Online
Levy
4 undergraduate credits or non-credit
HEBRW 210
This course ends January 2, 2008.
If you were last enrolled in an online Hebrew course prior to fall 2007, please read for important registration information.
A continuation of Hebrew I Online, this course enables students to recognize and use additional structures of Hebrew grammar, morphology and vocabulary to read modern and classical texts, and to engage in conversation. Students will read and listen to stories and dialogues, and participate in guided class discussions. Based on topics introduced in the lessons, students will write their own dialogues and passages. All language skills are mastered through more advanced syntactic and grammatical structures. Students will learn the past tense of verb groups introduced in Hebrew I.
Hebrew III Online
Levy
4 undergraduate credits or non-credit
HEBRW 310
If you were last enrolled in an online Hebrew course prior to fall 2007, please read for important registration information.
Students will learn to recognize and use new and more complex structures of Hebrew grammar and morphology, such as combined sentences, and will acquire vocabulary for advanced reading of modern and classical texts, and for conversation. Lessons include readings of longer passages, dialogues and stories. Students will be given the opportunity to practice the new syntactic and grammatical structures. Based on topics introduced in the lessons, students will write short expository passages and deepen their mastery of spoken Hebrew through participation in open conversation.
Hebrew IV Online
Levy
4 undergraduate credits or non-credit
HEBRW 410
If you were last enrolled in an online Hebrew course prior to fall 2007, please read for important registration information.
This course is designed for intermediate students who have successfully mastered Hebrew reading, writing and speaking skills. Students will practice writing directed and complex sentences, as well as free composition. In weekly oral assignments and class discussions, only Hebrew is spoken. Through extensive readings, students will expand their vocabulary and increase their familiarity with grammatical patterns. Students will learn the future tense of basic verbs in the strong verb groups, as well as frequently used weak verbs.
Bible: Text and Context
Leuchter
Framework
BIBLE 600
As part of a group of three Framework courses designed to orient the student to the ebb and flow, major transitions and defining moments in Jewish history, this course examines various biblical passages from a wide variety of genres—law, narrative, hymns and oracles—and considers the process by which they obtained their current contextual forms. At the same time, the course explores the compositional origins of these passages and attempts to identify how the passages may have been conceived for very different purposes than their current respective functions. Students will encounter the forces that shaped the way biblical writers composed their work and how later editors compiled, shaped and ultimately reinterpreted their sources.
Readings in Aggadic Literature
Cohn
Gateway; 4 credits
RAB 550
Prerequisite: Hebrew IV or equivalent for online students; Hebrew V/VI or equivalent for on-campus students.
Note: Online Gateway courses require additional hevruta study in a ìvirtual bet midrash.î
Students will read selections of the classic aggadic midrashim, particularly those quoted by Rashi and other medieval Bible commentators, and develop their skills in understanding the questions that stimulated the midrashic authors' attention and approaches to answering them. They will also examine midrashic creativity as an approach to sacred text as contrasted with the methods of Rashi and his school. In addition, each of the genres of midrashic literature will be discussed.
Literary and Philosophic Explorations of Classical Jewish Texts CANCELLED
Copeland
JTHT 510
This course will explore the biblical encounter between the Divine and the human as well as the rabbinical collaborative enterprise of interpreting sacred texts. Through exactingly close readings of 15 passages—mostly from the Bible and rabbinical literature, but also from some of the writings of Maimonides, the Zohar and Hasidism—this course of study offers an education in the ways the texts of the Jewish canon are constructed. By means of their stylistic structures, these writings can evoke the possibilities of mood and meaning that have made them classics.
Using Midrash Aggadah to Teach Ethics
Schimmel
EDUC 609
Students will study selections from Bialik and Ravnitzki's Sefer Ha'Aggadah on themes of ethical, moral and social values and behavior, with a focus on how these rabbinical texts can be incorporated into the secondary school curriculum. This course will entail a number of components, including study of selected midrashic/aggadic texts from Sefer Ha'Aggadah, supplemented with selections from original collections of midreshei aggadah, such as Midrash Rabbah and Tanhuma, and from Mishnah and Talmud; acquisition of a repertoire of Hebrew terms, expressions and aphorisms from aggadic literature that relate to the themes and concepts that will be studied; and scholarly and professional readings on midrash and aggadah, moral philosophy and ethics, and Jewish education.
Early Childhood Institute: Teaching Jewish Values to Young Children
Rodenstein
EDUC 501
This course is an introduction to the general field of early childhood education with an emphasis on the special characteristics and potential of the Jewish preschool. Using models of child development and values acquisition as a frame of reference as well as source material, the course will explore basic Jewish values and how to convey them to young children.
Early Childhood Institute: Families, School and Community
Vogelstein
EDUC 503
Note: Offered to the community of western Massachusetts through a special distance-learning program made possible by a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
This course examines the relationship between family, school and community, and explores ways to create an environment that supports and educates Jewish families. Students will explore the role of the family in Jewish tradition and text. Other topics include intake procedures, profiles of preschool families, parent-teacher conferences, handbooks and newsletters. The coursework will guide students to develop a vision and plan for building partnerships between families, school and community.
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Spring 2008 COURSES
Dates for spring courses are January 28–May 16, unless otherwise noted.
Orientation to Online Study at Hebrew College
Begins January 23
INTD 101
Note: Mandatory for new online students, except for Hebrew Mekhina participants.
See fall listings for complete course description.
Genres and Themes of Biblical Literature
Rodman
Gateway; 4 credits
BIBLE 502
Prerequisite: Hebrew IV or equivalent for online students; Hebrew V/VI or equivalent for on-campus students.
Note: Online Gateway courses require additional hevruta study in a "virtual bet midrash."
Students will read extended selections in Hebrew from the major biblical genres, including narrative, law, prophecy, Psalms and wisdom literature. Particular attention is paid to a thorough understanding of the Hebrew text, and to the linguistic and literary characteristics of the different genres.
This Gateway text course has dual goals. It is, in part, a language
course, providing a foundation in biblical Hebrew for students whose
formal study has focused on modern Hebrew. At the same
time, it provides experience in applying the tools of literary
analysis to understanding and appreciating the Bible's stories,
poems, and laws and its books of wisdom and prophecy. Each weekly
unit includes both a text from the Bible and works by talented
contemporary literary interpreters.
Early Childhood Institute: Teaching Jewish Values to Young Children
Rodenstein
EDUC 501
Note: Offered to the community of western Massachusetts through a special distance-learning program made possible by a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
This course is an introduction to the general field of early childhood education with an emphasis on the special characteristics and potential of the Jewish preschool. Using models of child development and values acquisition as a frame of reference, as well as source material, the course will explore basic Jewish values and how to convey them to young children.
Early Childhood Institute: Hebrew for Early Childhood Education
Davis
EDUC 534
This course introduces basic Hebrew vocabulary, focusing on its application in the early childhood classroom. Integrating Hebrew throughout the day in music, games and routines is modeled. Other topics include theories of language acquisition in children, as well as in adults. Students will be encouraged to use and practice Hebrew in the classroom.
Theory and Practice of Jewish Education
Shapiro
EDUC 570
A sound, dynamic conceptual foundation in the theory and practice of Jewish education is a sine qua non for Jewish leaders and teachers. This course will explore how modern educational theory, traditional Hebrew texts, and philosophies of Judaism can inform Jewish educationís policies and practices. Students will consider how some of the best practices in Jewish education are examples of applications of different Jewish educational theories and how these theories illuminate, guide, and are influenced by these very practices. The course will include readings and interpretations of Hebrew sources while developing our own educational theories and practices through reflection, research, writing, and oral presentation.
Hebrew Language Courses
Mekhina (Preparation) for Hebrew Language
Staff
Noncredit only
HEBRW 010
Note: Offered online for both online and campus-based students. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is required. If you have some prior Hebrew study experience, but are not ready for Hebrew I, you may be able to join the Mekhina mid-semester. Please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@hebrewcollege.edu or 617-559-8610.
See fall listings for complete course description.
Hebrew I–IV Online
Levy
See fall listings for complete course descriptions and course numbers.
Students will read extended selections in Hebrew from the major biblical genres, including narrative, law, prophecy, Psalms and wisdom literature. Particular attention is paid to a thorough understanding of the Hebrew text, and to the linguistic and literary characteristics of the different genres.
Jewish History and Memory: Rabbinic and Medieval Periods
Adelman
Framework
HIST 536
This course is part of a group of three Framework courses designed to orient the student to the ebb and flow, major transitions and defining moments in Jewish history. Postbiblical Judaism, which begins with questions of interpretation and survival, develops strategies to preserve the past and to creatively respond to the present. Rabbinical literature and the institutions fostered by rabbinic Judaism developed and thrived during the Middle Ages. Concentrating on major historical events and developments from the Rabbinic Period until the end of the Middle Ages in the seventeenth century, students will consider how the themes of Jewish identity, belonging, spirituality and memory have undergone profound changes. Students will explore how the past has been recalled, studied and understood by scholars, Jewish religious leaders, Jewish communities and individuals throughout history. To appreciate the dynamics of historical narrative, readings draw upon primary historical documents (in translation) and critical historical scholarship.
History and Meaning in the Study of Jewish Texts
Mesch
INTD 528
Note: Open to Pardes Educators in Jerusalem only.
The methods of modern scholarship have been very productive in allowing us to study classic Jewish texts including Tanakh, Rabbinic literature and other important resources in the Judaic tradition with new eyes and new research tools. Knowledge of ancient languages and the history and traditions of other cultures allows us to engage Jewish texts from new perspectives. This course will focus attention on biblical and Rabbinic texts and, with the help of modern scholarship, pay attention to the history and context of these materials. Such study often raises questions related to historicity, authorship, authority, religious significance, influence and other factors. Students will reflect on both the results of this scholarship and its integration into a worldview of religious and spiritual meaning.
Jewish Thought in the Modern Age
Breuer
JTHT 546
The modern age presented Jews with a profound and difficult set of intellectual challenges. As Jews began to be accepted into Western societies, they were forced to struggle with traditional notions of Jewish particularism and “chosenness.” At the same time, Jews needed to make sense of their ancient religious teachings in light of new modes of modern religious thought, ranging from Enlightenment rationalism to existentialism. Finally, like their Christian counterparts, modern Jewish thinkers had to come to terms with religious skepticism, widespread secularism and an assertive individualism. This course will explore these and other modern challenges through the philosophical writings of Jews such as Moses Mendelssohn, Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Joseph Baer Soloveitchik.
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