Language Study

The University of Chicago offers instruction in a number languages to support language acquisition and advanced research in Jewish Studies.

Modern Hebrew is offered at multiple levels of proficiency including Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. In addition, literature courses are taught both in Hebrew and in translation.

Learn Modern Hebrew to support interest and research in modern Israeli culture, literature, and history.

Classes include:

• Introductory Modern Hebrew I-II-III (HEBR 10501-10502-10503)
• Intermediate Modern Hebrew I-II-III (HEBR 20501-20502-20503)
• Advanced Modern Hebrew I-II-III (HEBR 30501-30502-30503)

Faculty: Ariela Almog

Yiddish instruction is housed in the Department of Germanic Studies, where there has been a dedicated lectureship since 2003. The Yiddish program consists of elementary, intermediate, and advanced language courses, and is complemented by courses in Slavics, History, and Comparative Literature drawing on Yiddish sources. Students can pursue a minor in Yiddish Studies or a major in Comparative Germanics through the Department of Germanic Studies, or can apply their Yiddish language credits toward a Jewish Studies major.

Learn Yiddish to support research in central and eastern European Jewish history, language, and culture and its global diasporas, both historical and contemporary.

Courses include:

• Elementary Yiddish I-II-III (YDDH 10100-10200-10300)
• Advanced Yiddish (YDDH 21004)

Faculty: Jessica Kirzane, Anna Elena Torres

Biblical Hebrew is taught at the introductory and advanced levels in both the Divinity School and the Department of Middle Eastern Studies (MES). In MES, the study of Biblical Hebrew is complemented by the University's longstanding strengths in Northwest Semitic languages, including Aramaic and Syriac.

Learn Biblical Hebrew to read and engage in the critical study of the Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, or ancient Hebrew Inscriptions. Northwest Semitic Languages and Aramaic provide linguistic skills to study the historical context of the Hebrew Bible or Rabbinic Literature.

Classes include:

• Introductory Biblical Hebrew I–II (Divinity School; BIBL 33900–34000)
• Elementary Classical Hebrew I-II-III (MES; HEBR 10101-10102-10103)
• Intermediate Classical Hebrew I-II-III (MES; HEBR 20104-20105-20106)
• Old Aramaic; Imperial Aramaic; Middle Aramaic (MES; ARAM 10101-10102-10103)
• Elementary Syriac I-II-III (MES; ARAM 10401-10402-10403)

Faculty: Dennis Pardee, Aren Wilson-Wright

Judaeo-Arabic has been taught in MES and in the Divinity School. Learn Judeo-Arabic to support research on Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa from late antiquity through the early modern period, including the archive of the Cairo Genizah.

In addition to formal instruction, both the Hebrew and Yiddish programs sponsor an informal Chug Ivrit (Hebrew Circle) and Yiddish Tish as well as other related activities. 

During the summer interim, the university often offers Modern Hebrew for Reading and Research as part of its Summer Language Institute. For students of Jewish Studies whose interests range over communities throughout the globe, the diversity of language instruction available throughout the University is a particularly precious resource.