Hebrew IV: Advanced Topics in Hebrew Literature (316-0-1)

Instructors

Hanna Tzuker Seltzer
847/467-5684
Crowe 5-159

Meeting Info

University Hall 318: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Many define the Hebrew Bible as the best literature ever written. Indeed, the Hebrew Bible inspired numerous canonical novels and poems, not to mention paintings and sculptures, in Western culture. In the case of Hebrew literature, the connection to the Hebrew Bible is even more binding, as the biblical texts informed and inspired Zionist ideology and the revival of Hebrew as a modern language.
In this class we will read a selection of biblical stories in their original language, biblical Hebrew, a reading which will enable us to see the immense influence of biblical Hebrew on Modern Hebrew language. We will then read contemporary Hebrew poems that are based on the stories we have read. We will analyze both the biblical stories, the Hebrew poems, and the connections between them. The poems we will read in class are interpretations of the biblical stories; both the biblical texts and the modern poems are in Hebrew, but beyond the grammatical and periodical differences between the texts and the poems (Biblical Hebrew vs. Modern Hebrew), the poems can be political, ideological, social, or personal critique of or a dialogue with the biblical story.

All course materials will be in Hebrew, as well as class discussions, and the level of the course is advanced intermediate to advanced advance (in ACTFL scale). This class is intended for students who are either heritage speakers of Hebrew or are in a very advanced level of Hebrew. The class level is equal to Hebrew fourth year.

Please contact Prof. Hanna Tzuker Seltzer with any questions or concerns: hanna.seltzer@northwestern.edu

Registration Requirements

Pre-requisites: Hebrew 216 or instructor's consent.

Learning Objectives

In this class, students will gain a basic familiarity with biblical Hebrew, its grammar and structures. Students will also acquire tools for analysis of modern Hebrew poems, and they will understand the foundational place of the Hebrew Bible in Israeli society and culture.

Teaching Method

Classes will be in the form of class discussions, as well as shared learning. We will read together the biblical stories and learn how to decipher the unique grammatical structures of the Hebrew Bible and the stylistics and literary techniques of the biblical narrator. We will read contemporary Hebrew poems and look for the intertextual connections between the biblical texts and the modern poems we read. Students will work frequently in pairs and groups to practice the reading and deep understanding of biblical texts as well as modern Hebrew poems. Students will also examine the intertextuality and allusions the contemporary poems have in relation to the biblical texts and how these allusions profoundly enrich the poems' meaning.

Evaluation Method

Students will be evaluated on their class participation, preparation for class (completion of assignments given at the end of classes as a basis to the next class), presentations, and final project (in lieu of final exam).

Class Materials (Required)

There is no need to purchase any specific textbooks for this class; class materials will be distributed by the instructor or will appear on the class Canvas site as PDFs.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
SoC Humanities and Fine Arts Distro