Ayala Dvoretzky

Ayala Dvoretzky coordinated the Modern Hebrew Program at Yale until the summer of 2016. She has taught numerous courses in Modern Hebrew language and was the recipient of the Yale College Excellence in Teaching Prize in 1993.  Since her arrival at Yale in 1985, she developed and taught a variety of courses, ranging from Introductory to Advanced and Upper levels of Modern Hebrew.  In response to the needs of the developing Hebrew Program, she created courses in Israeli literature, film, culture, and identity and gender. She was also extensively involved in teaching Directed Reading courses.

Among her academic interests are the incorporation of media and especially film into the instruction of language, as well as the use of popular music as a pedagogical tool for in-class cultural exposure. She has worked on creating and developing a web-based picture dictionary for Elementary Modern Hebrew, as well as an advanced level, on-line multi-media reading module about Ethiopian immigration to Israel.  She was also interested in post–Holocaust reactions of the Israeli society, as reflected in literature and film.

She was an active member of the Yale community and continues to contribute regularly to pedagogical events on campus, as well as community-wide activities. She regularly attended and participated in national and international professional meetings.