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Departmental Notes
Subject Code for Hebrew: HEBR
Subject Code for Jewish Studies: JWST
World Wide Web Address: www.queensu.ca/jewishstudies
Departmental Office: Theological Hall, Room 211
Telephone: 613-533-2106
E-Mail Address: jewish.studies@queensu.ca
Director of Jewish Studies & Academic Adviser: Dustin Atlas
Program Assistant: Grace Ebiekpi
Overview
Jewish civilization has a recorded global history of 4,000 years. Drawing from texts spanning from the Hebrew Scriptures to post-modern writing, the study of the Jewish diasporas in their transnational historical and cultural contexts provides students with insight into the complexities of global culture, identity, religion, and politics. All Jewish Studies courses are offered by several departments.
Advice to Students
Students considering a minor in Jewish Studies should consult with the Director of Jewish Studies.
No specific background is required to enrol in many Jewish studies courses. Students wishing to take advantage of the opportunity to study Jewish life in the context of the surrounding cultures are urged to consider a degree in Religion as a Major, Joint Honours, or Minor.
Special Study Opportunities
Courses taken at Israeli universities, subject to Faculty of Arts and Science regulations on credit for courses taken elsewhere, may be counted toward a Minor in Jewish Studies with the prior permission of the Director, toward credit in other departments, or toward general electives. Consult the International Programs Office as well as the Director for more information on Israeli and other universities, programs and scholarships.
One of the special features of the Jewish Studies Program at Queen’s is dialogue courses, particularly courses about Jewish-Muslim and Palestinian-Israeli relations. These seminar courses are taught by two instructors with training in parallel fields who engage narratives from different perspectives about historical situations and contemporary situations.
Future Prospects
In addition to providing an undergraduate program, Jewish studies, offers a background for many careers requiring liberal arts training, especially strong writing, research, and speaking skills. These include public service, government, education, law, business, social work, clergy, graduate study, journalism, and communal service. A minor in Jewish Studies equips you to navigate an increasingly interconnected and multicultural world with greater sensitivity, respect, and awareness. It provides a unique lens through which you can examine historical, sociological, and religious issues, allowing you to develop a nuanced understanding of complex topics and hone your analytical abilities. This interdisciplinary approach fosters adaptability and a well-rounded perspective, traits that are highly desirable in today's rapidly changing job market. Furthermore, a minor in Jewish Studies equips you with strong research, writing, and communication skills, which are valuable assets in today’s professional settings.
Courses
Hebrew (HEBR)
NOTE Students can self-enrol during the course registration period. However, for students with previous knowledge of the language, final approval of enrolment is at the discretion of the instructor, pending an assessment of a student's language competency. Students can contact the instructor for an assessment anytime during the academic year (September-May). Please note that instructors may not be available for language competency assessments in May, June, July, and early August. Non-disclosure of previous knowledge of the language is considered a departure from academic integrity.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Engage in everyday conversations using common vocabulary and basic grammatical structures, allowing them, for example, to introduce themselves, ask and answer simple questions, and express their basic needs and preferences in the language.
- Understand spoken language on familiar topics, such as personal information, basic descriptions, and daily routines, delivered at a slow to moderate pace and using beginner-level vocabulary.
- Read and comprehend short texts related to everyday life, employing basic reading strategies to understand sentence structure, main ideas, and key details with limited use of a dictionary.
- Write simple messages, notes, and paragraphs employing correct syntax and basic vocabulary to express personal experiences, daily activities, and simple opinions.
- Cultural Context: Throughout the course, students will gain an introductory understanding of the cultural context of the target language, including significant customs, traditions, and social norms associated with the regions where the language is spoken.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Enhance their ability to read and write Hebrew Script and Print with and without Nikud.
- Write in complete and complex sentences in script.
- Understand basic passages on a variety of topics.
- Affectively use present and past tense verbs.
- Affectively use prepositions and coordinators to create grammatical sentences.
- Count, calculate, and use both masculine and feminine numbers until 100.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Write complex and coherent sentences.
- Understand and use past tense and future tense.
- Understand and use imperative.
- Increase vocabulary.
- Write a full-length essay using complex sentences and integrate the variety of elements learned in the course.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.