Jewish Languages (In Person)

One of the key elements of identity that has both held the Jewish People together over time and distance and also reflects how Jews have been shaped by the societies around them is language. In this course, we’ll look at the history of the Jewish people through the lens of language: the languages that the Jews spoke in various times and places, as well as what those languages tell us about how they interacted with their neighbors. We’ll also explore the role of Hebrew, in both the ancient world and in the time between the Jews leaving Israel and their return. This course does not require any prior experience with Hebrew.

Class schedule:

January 13 — The Ancient Near East: Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek
January 27 — Ladino, Judeo-Arabic, and Liturgical Hebrew
February 10 — The Jews in Europe: Yiddish
February 24 — Today: Modern Hebrew

This course follows a sequential structure, and participants are encouraged to attend all sessions. However, drop-ins are welcome at any point during the course. If you have any questions regarding participation, please contact the program leader.

This class is part of eLeMeNTs | Lishma: Monday Night Torah at the BEIT.
Join us starting at 7:00 pm every Monday night for community connection, words of Torah, a dedication of learning, and a Kaddish opportunity before classes begin at 7:30.

eLeMeNTs courses this year are organized in two curricular tracks. You can take courses all within one track to explore related concepts from multiple angles, or jump from one track to another based on what courses intrigue you. This is the second course of the “”Exploring Jewish Identity”” track.

Sponsored by the Beth Elohim Institute for Transformation (BEIT), which offers an integrated, multifaceted approach to exploring and applying Jewish teachings and tradition to our contemporary daily lives by bringing together learning, spiritual practice, caring, and action all under one roof.