Curriculum
Local faculty from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are hired to teach classes specifically designed for program participants in advanced language, culture, and civilization. All students take a combination of language and content courses; Modern Hebrew (10 hours per week) and two electives courses on Israeli and Middle Eastern culture, religion, or politics. All classes engage students in a variety language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Specific course offerings will be posted at a later date.
- All course work is conducted entirely in Hebrew
- Students adhere to the Middlebury College Language Pledge
- Curriculum designed for high intermediate and advanced Hebrew language students
Content Course Descriptions
The courses below are offered by the program. At the discretion of the Director, advanced students (usually in the second semester of a full year in Israel) may also be able to enroll directly in classes at Ben Gurion University, alongside other Israeli students.
Please click on a course title below to see its description.
From Melting Pot to Multiculturalism: Israeli Identities in Cinema and T.V.
This course explores how Israeli identities have been defined, maintained, and transformed in Israeli Cinema and T.V since the establishment of Israel in 1948 until today.
The nation-building process of modern Israel was based on the model of a 'Melting Pot', the official governmental doctrine of assimilating the Jewish immigrants that came from varying cultures. In this process, the Sabra (Israeli native) and the New Jew (western immigrant) which was modeled on the Ashkenazi elite's way of thinking became the hegemonic norm for Israeli identity. This hegemonic, masculine identity is reproduced today in the image of the IDF combat soldier.
Since the late 70' the model of multiculturalism has become widespread in Israeli society with new identities who play leading roles in Israeli Cinema and T.V such as orthodox Jews, homosexuals, Arabs, and migrant workers.
Israeli Society: Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives
The course will discuss selected issues that express deep, sociological, and cultural structures of Israeli society in the twenty first century. Among the topics covered will be the following: cultural and ethnic conflicts; social segregation, inequality, and class-mobility among different groups.
