Modern Hebrew

Hebrew Program at Yale University

We offer classes on elementary, intermediate, and advanced Modern Hebrew as well as courses on biblical and medieval Hebrew, Modern Israeli literature, film, and contemporary Israeli culture. In addition, we offer Hebrew tables and directed readings. Communication in small classes is an important feature of the program as our goal is to enable students to understand, speak, read and write Hebrew at all levels. In all of the courses the students are exposed to poetry, short stories, media, music and movies and in the advanced levels we include novels and academic texts.

Advanced Language Certificate

Students seeking to earn the certificate are required to take four courses beyond the L4 level, at least two of which must be Yale courses designated as L5. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must achieve a grade of B or above. No courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the certificate. With the approval of the certificate adviser, one advanced non-L5 Yale course, conducted in the target language, such as an independent study course, a graduate seminar, or an advanced seminar may count toward certification requirements.

The certificate adviser may allow one “language across the curriculum” (LxC) course, which ordinarily is an advanced seminar with an additional weekly discussion section in the target language, to count toward the certification requirements. The certificate adviser may also approve the substitution of up to two credits earned during study abroad and taught in the target language to count toward the certificate requirements. If the adviser approves courses taken outside of Yale for inclusion in the certificate requirements, students must take the necessary steps to ensure that those courses appear on their transcripts.

Declaration of Candidacy for a Certificate

Students are invited to complete the Declaration of Candidacy for a Certificate Form using this Qualtrics Survey. Once completed, the form sends notification emails to the certificate adviser(s) and to the Yale University Registrar’s Office so that the student’s Degree Audit can be updated with the Certificate of Advanced Language Study. 

Certificate Adviser

Shiri Goren, Senior Lector II of Modern Hebrew <shiri.goren@yale.edu>