!שָׁלוֹם (Shalom!)

Hebrew is one of the oldest languages in the world, having been spoken from about 1200 BCE to the present day in Israel and has had an enormous impact on Western culture most particularly through what is commonly called the Old Testament.

Explore Jewish civilisation, Israeli history and culture, and the Hebrew and Jewish studies language

You can investigate the history, literature, philosophy and social theory of Jewish society and culture, and engage in debates about ethnicity and identity, assimilation, exile and diaspora cultures – and, of course, learn how to understand, speak, read and write the Hebrew language. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with contemporary Hebrew writers, newspaper and academic articles, and by the end of your studies, be able to express your own experiences, views and aspirations with greater complexity in Hebrew.

You’ll also have the opportunity to join in communal events like the Israeli and Jewish Film Festivals and exhibitions at the Jewish Museum of Australia and the Holocaust Museum. There are even overseas exchange opportunities to complete subjects in Jerusalem.

Where can Hebrew and Jewish studies take you?

The critical, analytical, communications and inter-cultural competence skills you’ll develop in Hebrew and Jewish Studies will set you up well for employment in a range of areas.

Graduates of Hebrew and Jewish Studies have gone on to develop careers in international relations, trade, multinational business, teaching, diplomacy and translation, as well as religious and community work.

Where do I start?

Before you begin studying a language, there are a couple of steps you will need to take:

1. Pick how you’ll study your chosen language

There is a wide range of options available to students interested in studying Hebrew and Jewish Studies

2. Apply/Enrol

You’ll need to create an account and apply for your chosen course before taking the language questionnaire and placement test.

Visit your chosen course page and begin the application process.

3. Placement testing

If you have previously studied Hebrew, please get in contact with the course coordinator for the language you wish to study and they will provide you with more information on what level may be appropriate for your level of proficiency. You will be required to sit a placement test to assess what level will be most appropriate for you.

Hebrew and Jewish Studies Course Coordinator: Dr Dvir Abramovich

Once you have completed your placement test, you will be placed in one of the below entry points:

Hebrew and Jewish Studies 1 entry point
For students who have very little or no background in the Hebrew language.

Hebrew and Jewish Studies 3 entry point
Usually for students who have undertaken four or five years of secondary school Hebrew or who have obtained a low VCE Hebrew score.

Hebrew and Jewish Studies 5 entry point
Usually for VCE Hebrew students.

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