Modern Hebrew Minor

Hebrew is one of the world’s oldest languages still spoken today. It was similar in origin to ancient Phoenician and developed into an independent language in the 12th century BCE. Hebrew was the spoken language of the Patriarchs during the Biblical period, and the Bible is written in Hebrew. While Aramaic, which utilizes the same alphabet, replaced Hebrew as the spoken language for centuries, Hebrew remained a language used for ritual, prayer, literature, and written communication. As a spoken language, Modern Hebrew began to emerge in the late 19th century and became, in 1913, the official language of instruction in Jewish schools in the region of Palestine. In 1948, Hebrew (along with Arabic) became the official language of the modern state of Israel.

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:

  • take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

The undergraduate minor in Hebrew consists of four courses.

Core Requirements
Two language courses beyond HEBR 203:6
Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Composition and Conversation: Immigration, Ethnicities, and Religious Traditions
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Composition and Conversation: Zionism and the Hebrew Language
One culture course chosen from among the following:3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo First-Year Seminar: Israeli Culture and Society: Collective Memories and Fragmented Identities
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Israeli Cinema: Gender, Nation, and Ethnicity H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Conflict over Israel/Palestine
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Religion and Tradition in Israeli Cinema, TV, and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Beyond Hostilities: Israeli-Palestinian Exchanges and Partnerships in Film, Literature, and Music
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Language, Exile, and Homeland in Zionist Thought and Practice
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Arab-Jews: Culture, Community, and Coexistence
A fourth course chosen from either the language or culture list above.3
Total Hours12
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

Placement credit (PL) may not be used to meet minor requirements.

See the program page here for special opportunities.

Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Visit Program Website

New West 113, CB# 3267

(919) 962-4294

Hebrew Program Advisor

Hanna Sprintzik

hannasp@email.unc.edu

Chair

Li-ling Hsiao

hsiaoLL@email.unc.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Bud Kauffman

budk@email.unc.edu

Student Services Specialist

Ash Barnes

wow@unc.edu