Hebrew
About Hebrew
Our Program and Courses
You can minor in Hebrew at F&M. Hebrew classes are designed not only to develop listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills, but also to emphasize an appreciation for the culture and history connected with the language. You will study Israeli society and cultures, and develop a more complex understanding of traditional Jewish texts. In conjunction with the Judaic Studies program, you will be able to tailor your Hebrew learning experience to suit your own personal needs and educational goals.
By the time you graduate, you will:
- Have attained proficiency in Hebrew and be able to communicate effectively and cohesively through speech and writing.
- Be able to demonstrate a solid knowledge of Israel’s present and past contributions to literature, cinema, the arts, and politics.
- Be able to present, connect, and analyze major Jewish literary texts in the contexts in which they were written while discussing the perspectives they represent.
- Have learned modes of critical analysis that enhance your ability to conduct independent inquiry.
- Be able to build linguistic, cultural, and-cross cultural competence.
Hebrew Language Placement Exam
If you’re admitted to F&M and plan to study Hebrew, you must complete a language placement exam. You will complete this test the summer before you arrive on campus.
Wondering what Hebrew courses are like? Take a look at our course catalog to explore what’s available to you.
Learning Outside the Classroom
Our Hebrew professors are committed to tailoring your education to your interests and goals, and helping you discover research and study-abroad opportunities to broaden your understanding of the discipline.
Off-Campus Study
When studying a language that has global influence, your surest path to aptitude is to experience this linguistic exchange yourself. Our students have pursued advanced studies in England, Czech Republic, and at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel. The Banks Summer Study Award supports exceptional students of Hebrew and Judaic Studies to discover study-abroad opportunities, as well.
F&M In Israel
F&M in Israel is a three-week course that provides an introduction to Israeli history,
culture, and society from its beginnings until today. You’ll spend the first week
of the program at F&M and the following two weeks in Israel, where you will gain a
firsthand perspective of contemporary Jewish life.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
Research Opportunities
Every student at F&M has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led
research. Our faculty will help you do a more in-depth dive into the topics that interest
you most.
Explore research at F&M
The Klehr Center for Jewish Life
Since opening in 2008, F&M’s Klehr Center for Jewish Life, home to F&M Hillel, has been committed to enriching the lives of Jewish F&M students so that they may in turn enrich Jewish people around the world.Explore the Klehr Center for Jewish Life
Success Beyond F&M
The interpretive skills, practical skills, cultural knowledge and awareness, and the intellectual connections you gain by studying Hebrew at F&M are valuable for any post-college plan. Our students build an excellent foundation for success in graduate school or in their chosen career.
Graduate School
Many graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees in law, medicine, veterinary, social work, psychology.
Career Paths
Recent graduates of Hebrew at F&M have pursued careers in Jewish education, Jewish community engagement, special education, and others.
Student Spotlight
“Hebrew is a language I’ve been hearing, reading, and speaking since I was a little girl.”
An assignment telling stories via video about a time when language was important in their lives gave a group of F&M students some unexpected personal insights. “Having just come back from almost two years living in Israel – as an English-speaker in a Hebrew-speaking country – this story was the one I needed to tell,” Aviva Katz '24 said. “It’s a story that’s about much more than being a foreigner in a country that speaks a different language, for Hebrew is a language I’ve been hearing, reading, and speaking since I was a little girl. Yet somehow, it was still foreign to me. This is a story of how a language can be so close to your heart, and so familiar, yet still foreign and uncomfortable.”Read More »
Faculty Spotlight
Di Giulio Brings Interest in Hebrew Linguistics to F&M
When he was 19, Marco Di Giulio traveled from his native Italy to Israel to learn about Israeli culture and history. He had no idea that the trip would eventually lead to a much longer international adventure—a career as a college professor in America. Di Giulio’s interest in Israel inspired him to take a path that has led to Franklin & Marshall College, where he is an associate professor of Hebrew language and literature. "At F&M, we’re able to question common views, and we have interaction in class," Di Giulio said. "It’s a great way to learn."Related Fields of Study
International Studies
International studies is an innovative program that combines off-campus study in a non-English-speaking location with on- and off-campus coursework. As a student of international studies at F&M, you will develop a global perspective and immerse yourself in the languages and cultures of non-English-speaking countries and regions.
Judaic Studies
From its origins to the present day, Judaic Studies at F&M provides a comprehensive introduction to the religious, cultural, and political traditions and experiences of Jewish life. You will learn how Jewish culture has interacted with and influenced people over the years, as well as the strengths and struggles being endured by its people today.
Religious Studies
Humans find meaning in many forms, and one of the most widespread and varied of those is religion. As a religious studies student at F&M, you will have the opportunity to study numerous belief systems, including American religions, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam, while challenging your own perceptions and those of the world around you.
Explore Hebrew at F&M
May 23, 2024
Ten Faculty Earn Tenure, Promotion
At its May meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the recommendations of the Professional Standards Committee and the Provost, granting four F&M faculty tenure and promotion to associate professor, while six others were promoted to full professor.
April 7, 2023
Observing Disability Everywhere
At F&M’s Phillips Museum of Art, students in the course "Narratives of Disability” examined photographs depicting or associated with disability and later they viewed works created by artists with disabilities displayed in an upstairs gallery. "It is a special event because the students will use the knowledge developed during the course to interpret these rare images we have on campus," said Marco Di Giulio, associate professor of Hebrew Language and Literature. "Disability is everywhere once we begin to look for it."
March 8, 2021
Students Explore the Whimsical World of Gianni Rodari
Every night, traveling salesman Signor Bianchi calls his daughter from a pay phone to tell her a bedtime story. Each story must be told in the time that a single coin will buy. Four Franklin & Marshall College students will recount these whimsical tales in an upcoming theatrical reading to celebrate the centennial of Italian author Gianni Rodari's birth.