7 Hebrew Degree Programs in Israel

The Department of Jewish Philosophy (Jewish Thought and Kabbalah) in Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Jewish Studies is devoted to the research and teaching of all fields of Jewish philosophy from the classical period until the writing of Jewish philosophy in our days, including the study of Kabbalah and Hasidism. Special emphasis is put on the study and research of philosophical thinking, mystical contemplation, and interreligious relations. If you are interested in such fields as Jewish tradition, philosophy, and Jewish history, the Department of Jewish Philosophy invites you to participate in a fascinating, thought-provoking MA in Jewish Philosophy, which takes you into the comprehensive exploration of the world of Jewish philosophy and all its aspects while examining different approaches, discourses, and methods from a broad cultural perspective. Read this article to find out more about the program.

Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School (RIS) offers a two-year M.A. program in the Bible and the Ancient Near East. This program focuses on contemporary Biblical studies (Hebrew scriptures) and provides grounding in both Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian, with the option to study Modern Hebrew at the beginner through advanced levels.

Offered by Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School (RIS) in conjunction with the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies, the M.A. in Jewish Studies program is designed to provide you with up-to-date knowledge in the field of Jewish studies in preparation for an advanced academic degree.

This fall we will be offering the following language courses at our Jerusalem Campus, and/or Online as indicated under course descriptions: Modern Hebrew (All Levels), Spoken Arabic (All Levels), and Modern Standard Arabic (Levels 1 & III). Modern Hebrew is the majority spoken language in Israel, and one of the country’s two official languages. Arabic is the language of 22 Member States of UNESCO, a language with more than 422 million speakers in the Arab world.

The Two-Year Academic Program in Near Eastern Languages consists of intensive and full immersion modern and ancient language courses in Arabic and Hebrew as well as courses in history, philosophy, and literature of the ancient and contemporary Near East.

This fall we will be offering the following ancient language courses at our Jerusalem Campus, and/or Online as indicated under course descriptions: Latin (Levels I, II, & III), Ancient Greek (All Levels), Biblical Hebrew (Levels I, II, & IV), Classical Syriac (Level I), and Coptic (Level I). All courses are taught using the Polis Method, which is based on total language immersion from the very first class.

The objective of this new one-year graduate program is to appreciate Jerusalem in its cultural, historical, and linguistic diversity. Students will spend considerable time in direct contact with various communities in order to gain a firsthand understanding. This will include overseeing socio-linguistic questionnaires, recording interviews, visiting historically significant sites, and meeting with community representatives. In addition, they will explore primary historical sources such as the writings of Josephus, Byzantine pilgrims, and Muslim geographers. They will learn the science of ancient inscriptions (epigraphy) with field trips to decipher Greek and Arabic incscriptions. They will discover the "other" languages of Jerusalem such as Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Greek.