Textbook
For its modern Hebrew courses, Hebrew College uses the textbook Ivrit Min Hahatchala–Chadash (“Hebrew from Scratch–New Edition”), published in Israel by Academon. It has two volumes; the first is used for levels 1 through 3 and the second is used for levels 4 and 5.
The book is available from the Israel Book Shop, 800-323-7723, israelbookshop.com. The cost is $40 per volume plus shipping. Mention that you are a Hebrew College student for a $4 discount on the first volume and a $6 discount on the second. A companion collection of audio CDs can be purchased with each volume of the book. They are not required for participation in the course, as relevant audio clips can be heard via the course Web site.
First Volume
The first volume consists of introductory units, lessons that build on the units, and periodic reviews. A number of features appear consistently throughout the book. In every unit and lesson, new grammar topics are introduced within a gray-bordered box or chart. The second volume consists of lessons and periodic reviews.
Throughout each book, sections titled introduce slang words and phrases associated with the material studied in that unit or lesson. (The Hebrew phrase is Az yallah bye, slang for "goodbye" or "so long." Click on the Hebrew text to hear how it is pronounced. If you cannot see the Hebrew text or if you are asked to download the Macromedia Flash Player, follow the instructions to do so. If you can see the Hebrew text but can't hear it, check your computer's volume setting.)
At the beginning of each unit, new vocabulary words are transliterated and provided in print and script forms. A Summary of Topics at the end of each unit or lesson includes a dictionary of new vocabulary words, providing grammatical information about each word, i.e., whether it is male or female, singular or plural, noun, verb, etc. A summary of grammatical topics is also provided, as well as grammatical notes referred to from within the unit or lesson. We recommend that you review the entire Summary of Topics after completing each unit and lesson.
A brief summary of topics taught in each unit and lesson is also provided in the Table of Contents. In Volume 1, the Table of Contents is followed by a table that includes the Hebrew Alphabet in print and script forms, the names of the letters in Hebrew and English, and a phonetic transcript. This is followed by a table that includes the vowels, their names in Hebrew and their phonetic transcript. (The names of the vowels in English are provided on the course web site.) A map of Israel is located on the page preceding the first unit.
A dictionary of selected terms appears at the end of each textbook. Information provided about each word includes,
- Translation of the word,
- Whether it is male or female, noun, verb, adjective or adverb, slang, and
- In which unit or lesson the word is first introduced.
The Volume 1 dictionary begins with a list of translated abbreviations and acronyms used throughout the book. It ends with a list of geographic locations, indicating where they are introduced within the seven units and first review. The Volume 2 dictionary similarly begins with a list of translated abbreviations and acronyms used throughout the book and ends with a list of grammatical terms and instructions translated into English.
Cultural and literary enrichment modules appear throughout each book, generally identified by a gray border or background. This material reflects the evolution of the language through the biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern periods. Portions of this optional material will be integrated into the course.
Please note that, while the exercise instructions on the course website are usually based on those in the textbook, they sometimes differ. In these situations, please follow the online instructions. When you are expected to follow the instructions in the text, this will be made explicitly clear in the online instructions.
