INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
No specific knowledge or experience are required.
Learning assessment is done through the final exam only, which is oral. The exam is intended to verify the learning of the topics of Hebrew language and Jewish culture explained in class. As for the “Hebrew language part”, students will be required to read, translate and analyze one of the simple Hebrew texts explained by the teacher during the course. For this purpose, students must refer to the following book: Eliezer Tirkel, L’ebraico è facile, Giuntina, Florence 2015 (see also the Bibliography on Leganto). As for the “Jewish Culture part”, Students will be required to answer to one or more open questions on a cultural topic covered during the course. The students who attend the course can rely on their notes and on the material distributed in class and/or provided by the teacher (in-depth sheets, ppt, links, etc.). Non-attending students must agree in advance with the teacher a specific program for the learning of the “language part”, while the culture part must be studied on the following text (see also Bibliography on Leganto): Ph. Haddad, “L’ebraismo spiegato ai miei amici. La sua storia, i suoi riti, le sue sfide”, Florence, Giuntina, 2003 (Italian translation by V. Lucattini Vogelmann). The exam will be evaluated in thirtieths and it will take into account the following criteria: 1. Articulation and precision in the presentation of the acquired contents, both of Hebrew language and Jewish culture; 2. Ability to present, summarize and rework the topics covered; 3. Correct and clear language.
The course aims at introducing to the study of the (modern) Hebrew language and Jewish culture, in an overview which reaches from the past to the contemporary age. EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of the course, the student: 1. Will be able to read in Hebrew and translate into Italian some simple texts explained by the teacher in class. 2. will recognize some basic grammatical structures of the Hebrew language (article, noun, some verbs, some prepositions, the personal pronouns). 3. will remember a small vocabulary of Hebrew and some recurring expressions of the basic communication (for example, greetings, introducing oneself, thanking, etc.). 4. will be acquainted with the main topics of the Jewish culture and will be able to talk (in Italian) about the contents learned in class, also with the help of the suggested bibliography.
The course includes a part dedicated to (modern) Hebrew language and a part dedicated to Jewish culture. Every week one lesson will deal with the language and another will deal with the culture. The two parts will be carried out in succession to one another, in order to complement the two fields. As for the Hebrew language, we will study: the Hebrew alphabet; basic features of phonetics and morphology (noun, article, some prepositions, some verbs, pronouns); basic vocabulary and syntax; minimum sentences and first elements of communication. As for the Jewish culture, during the course some fundamental texts of the Hebrew literature, from the Antiquity to the contemporary age will be presented, commented and contextualized. Among them, we will deal with: the biblical Book of Genesis, the rabbinic literature (Mishnah and Talmud) ; the ancient texts of the Jewish Mysticism; the Medieval Jewish poetry (also produced by women) especially from the sephardic area; the Hebrew theatre of the Renaissance; some texts belonging to the Haskalah movement (The Jewish Enlightment); the travelogues of Jewish authors in XVIII and XIX cent.; the Israeli literature. By reading (in Italian translation) some parts of these texts, we will also be able to explore fundamental topics of the Jewish tradition such as: the History of the Hebrew language; the festivities and the calendar; the cycle of life, the Shabbat; Jewish history in the Diaspora and in the land of Israel. We will also deal with Jewish music, art and cinema. All texts covered in class will be presented in Italian translation, with some references in Hebrew to key words or specific concepts.
Regarding the Hebrew language: 1. the Hebrew alphabet, consonants and vowels. 2. Outlines of Hebrew phonetics. 3. Outlines of morphology: - Noun. - Article. - Personal pronouns. 4. Syntax: - nominal sentence in the present tense; 5. First elements of communication: introducing oneself, greeting, thanking, asking the time. Regarding Jewish culture, excerpts from the following texts will be read (in Italian), commented on and framed: 1. The biblical Book of Genesis. 2. The first texts of Rabbinic literature: Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash. 3. Sefer Yetzirah (Jewish mysticism) 4. Medieval poems from the Sephardic area. 5. "The comedy of betrothal" by Leone de’ Sommi (Mantua, 1560). 6. The Haskalah movement, with particular reference to Italy: Shemuel Romanelli and Yaaqov Saraval. 7. The Travelogue to Jerusalem (1856; 1864) by Flora Randegger-Friedenberg. 8. "A Tale of love and darkness" by Amos Oz
The course is divided into frontal lessons, for which ppt, slides and videos will be used (especially for the part of Jewish culture) and direct involvement of the students (especially for the “Language part”), in which students will be required to carry out exercises and short readings with the help of the teacher.
The teacher can be contacted for any request, doubt or question at the following e-mail address: erica.baricci@uninsubria.it. She receives by appointment (to be fixed by e-mail) in "via Bossi 5" (Como).