Modern Hebrew Minor
Yaron Shemer, Hebrew Program Advisor
Morgan Pitelka, Chair
Robin Visser, Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Ash Barnes, Student Services Specialist
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.
Department Programs
Majors
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Interdisciplinary Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Arab Cultures Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Chinese Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Japanese Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Korean Studies Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–South Asian Studies Concentration
Minors
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- take at least nine hours of their minor course requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum of 12 hours of C or better in the minor (some minors require more)
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
The undergraduate minor in Hebrew consists of four courses.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Three language courses beyond HEBR 203: | 9 | |
| Intermediate Modern Hebrew II | ||
| Advanced Modern Hebrew I | ||
| Advanced Modern Hebrew II | ||
| The other course must be chosen from among the following: | 3 | |
| Israeli Popular Culture: The Case of Music | ||
| Religion and Tradition in Israeli Cinema, TV, and Literature | ||
| The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | ||
| First-Year Seminar: Israeli Popular Culture: The Case of Music | ||
| First-Year Seminar: Israeli Culture and Society: Collective Memories and Fragmented Identities | ||
| Language, Exile, and Homeland in Zionist Thought and Practice | ||
| Israeli Cinema: Gender, Nation, and Ethnicity H | ||
| The Arab-Jews: Culture, Community, and Coexistence | ||
| Beyond Hostilities: Israeli-Palestinian Exchanges and Partnerships in Film, Literature, and Music | ||
| Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Literature H | ||
| Religion in Modern Israel | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| 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.
