NATIONAL PROGRAM ON NONCOLLEGIATE SPONSORED INSTRUCTION
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BIBLE

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE PENTATEUCH: GENESIS
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to prepare a textual analysis of Genesis, as well as the comparative analysis of the various studied commentaries; discuss and analyze literary aspects of Genesis’ main narrative; recognize the range of traditional biblical exegesis and its exegetes; explore ethical and narrative applications of the text and applied commentary; make value decisions about issues; criticize or defend the activities of the biblical characters; and find inconsistencies or fallacies in their behavior.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. The candidate is expected to be very familiar with the text of the biblical narrative of the Book of Genesis (Creation, Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Deluge, Noah, Covenant, Tower of Babel, Abraham and Sarah, Ishmael, Sodom, Binding of Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Twelve Tribes, Joseph, Pharaoh, Dream Interpretation, Famine in Egypt, Israel in Goshen, Jacob's Blessings), and familiarity with selected commentaries in traditional biblical exegesis (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, Abravanel, Radak, Ktav V'ha'kabbalah, Or Hachayim, Sforno) as well as more modern commentaries (Leibowitz).
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READINGS: Hertz Chumash; Mikraot Gedolot, and H. Halpern TORAH DIALOGUES, (Jerusalem: Jewish Bible Association, 1999)

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE PENTATEUCH: EXODUS
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to prepare a textual
analysis of Exodus, as well as the comparative analysis of the various studied commentaries; discuss and analyze literary aspects of Exodus' main narrative; recognize the range of traditional biblical exegesis and its exegetes; explore ethical and narrative applications of the text and applied commentary; make value decisions about issues; criticize or defend the activities of the biblical characters, and find inconsistencies or fallacies in their behavior. In topics on biblical law, the candidate is expected to be able to analyze the basic premise and state the rule from the text, be able to classify or arrange the components, and predict how the law is applicable in modern life.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. The candidate is expected to be very familiar with the structure of the Book of Exodus (two main sections) as well as with the text of the biblical narrative of Exodus (slavery in Egypt; birth of Moses; burning bush; Moses sent to Pharoah; Ten Plagues; Exodus from Egypt; splitting of the Red Sea; Manna from Heaven; sabbath laws; appointment of judges; giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai; social laws; building the Tabernacle in the desert; Golden Calf; Thirteen Attributes; Garments of the Priests) and familiarity with selected commentaries in traditional biblical exegesis (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, Abravanel, Radak, Ktav V'ha'kabbalah, Or Hachayim, Sforno) as well as more modern commentaries (Leibowitz).
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READINGS: Hertz Chumash; Mikraot Gedolot, and H. Halpern TORAH DIALOGUES, (Jerusalem: Jewish Bible Association, 1999)

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE PENTATEUCH: LEVITICUS
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to prepare a textual
analysis of Leviticus, as well as the comparative analysis of the various studied commentaries; discuss and analyze literary aspects of Leviticus' main narrative; recognize the range of traditional biblical exegesis and its exegetes; explore ethical and narrative applications of the text and applied commentary; make value decisions about issues; criticize or defend the activities of the biblical characters, and find inconsistencies or fallacies in their behavior. In topics on biblical law, the candidate is expected to be able to analyze the basic premise and state the rule from the text, be able to classify or arrange the components, and predict how the law is applicable in modern life.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. The candidate is expected to be very familiar with the text of the biblical narrative of the Book of Leviticus (burnt offerings; meal offerings; peace offerings; mistake offerings; guilt offerings; priest' portion; installment of the priests; inauguration of the Tabernacle; death of Nadav and Abihu; laws of kosher animals and fish; laws of childbirth; laws of leprosy of skin and clothes; laws of bodily discharges; Yom Kippur service; prohibition against eating blood; forbidden sexual relationships; laws of the first fruits; laws of priests and high priest; holidays; sabbatical year; laws relating to lending of money; laws of slaves; reward and punishment; endowment evaluations) and familiarity with selected commentaries in traditional biblical exegesis (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, Abravanel, Radak, Ktav V'ha'kabbalah, Or Hachayim, Sforno) as well as more modern commentaries (Leibowitz).
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READINGS: Hertz Chumash; Mikraot Gedolot, and H. Halpern TORAH DIALOGUES, (Jerusalem: Jewish Bible Association, 1999)

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE PENTATEUCH: NUMBERS
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to prepare a textual analysis of Numbers, as well as the comparative analysis of the various studied commentaries; discuss and analyze literary aspects of Numbers' main narrative; recognize the range of traditional biblical exegesis and its exegetes; explore ethical and narrative applications of the text and applied commentary; make value decisions about issues; criticize or defend the activities of the biblical characters, and find inconsistencies or fallacies in their behavior. In topics on biblical law, the candidate is expected to be able to analyze the basic premise and state the rule from the text, be able to classify or arrange the components, and predict how the law is applicable in modern life.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. The candidate is expected to be very familiar with the structure of the Book of Numbers (main sections) as well as with text of the biblical narrative of Numbers (census; camp arrangement; duties of the Levites; redemption of the first born; responsibility of the Levite families; suspected adulteress; the laws of the Nazirite; the Menorah; Miriam's punishment; 12 spies; laws of offerings; the sabbath violator; rebellion of Korah; punishment of the rebellion; the Red Heifer; Moses hitting the rock; war with Edom; death of Aaron; war with Canaan; confrontation with Sichon and Og; Bilaam attempted curse; Pinchas; division of the land; laws of vows; borders of Israel) and familiarity with selected commentaries in traditional biblical exegesis (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, Abravanel, Radak, Ktav V'ha'kabbalah, Or Hachayim, Sforno) as well as more modern commentaries (Leibowitz).
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READINGS: Hertz Chumash; Mikraot Gedolot, and H. Halpern TORAH DIALOGUES, (Jerusalem: Jewish Bible Association, 1999)

Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READINGS: Hertz Chumash; Mikraot Gedolot, and H. Halpern TORAH DIALOGUES, (Jerusalem: Jewish Bible Association, 1999)

ELEMENTARY BIBLICAL (CLASSICAL) HEBREW
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to identify letters, parts of speech, grammatical forms and syntax; analyze a verb for its root stem by making connections among different pieces of information learned and formulate what these connections mean; assess grammatical questions and give correct answer; incorporate all the grammatical syntax and morphology learned and correctly translate 15 lines of biblical prose; be able to use the Brown, Driver, Briggs Lexicon; parse verbal forms according to root, person, number, and gender; switch perfect to imperfect and vice-versa; inflect nouns; and infer from context of biblical verse the proper tense and meaning of a word.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Nouns and adjectives; the article (He’ Hayyidua’), the nominal phrase and the noun-clause; the interrogative pronoun; the dual form; the genitive and the construct state (Semichut); numerals: cardinal and ordinal numbers; the pronoun: the personal pronoun – the separate pronoun, the pronominal suffixes, the demonstrative pronoun, the relative pronoun, the interrogative and indefinite pronouns; the particles: prefixed prepositions, prepositions with pronominal suffixes (prepositions in the singular nominal pattern and prepositions in the plural pattern); conjunctions (ki, ya’an, ‘ekev, ‘al ki, ‘asher, ‘im, pen, ‘af, ‘af ‘asher etc.); basic nominal patterns; verbal morphology: root vs. pattern (binyan) plus the seven binyanim; the tenses: katal (perfect), yiktol (imperfect), vayyiktol, vekatalti, participle forms, infinitive forms (absolute and construct form); the modal forms (cohortative, jussive, imperative); some basic syntactical issues: nominal vs. verbal clause, relative clause, infinitive phrase. Selected biblical passages (prose) are taken from: Genesis 22, 27, 29. I Samuel 11, Ruth 1.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Hebrew (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READING

Computer program Biblical Hebrew from www.davka.com

INTERMEDIATE BIBLICAL (CLASSICAL) HEBREW
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to identify more complex parts of speech, grammatical forms and syntax such as irregular binyanim, conjugation of prepositions, tautological infinitives, infinitive construct, nominal clauses, relative clauses, conjunctions, word order, more complex modal forms of the jussive, cohortative and imperative; analyze a verb for its root stem by making connections among different pieces of information learned and formulate what these connections mean; assess grammatical questions and give correct answer; incorporate all the grammatical syntax and morphology learned and correctly translate 11 lines of biblical prose and 6 lines of biblical poetry; parse verbal forms according to root, person, number, and gender; switch perfect to imperfect and vice-versa; switch katol to yiktol forms and vice-versa; inflect nouns; switch composite verbs to regular separate form; and infer from context of biblical verse the proper tense and meaning of a word.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. The main focus at this level of Biblical Hebrew is on syntax and lexicon (vocabulary), with a review of verbal and nominal morphology. Content covered includes: recognition of the shoresh: verbal morphology (reversal): paradigms of the binyanim (the strong verb paradigm, verbs with pey gronit, with ayin gronit, and lamed gronit, verbs with double ayin, weak verbs, verbs of pey yud, pey nun, ayin yud/ayin vav, lamed yud/lamed heh, pey alef, lamed alef), verbs with pronominal suffixes (accusative pronoun); nouns with possessive (genitive) pronominal suffixes (conjugations of singular and plural forms); conjugations of prepositions (e.g. ba'avuri, ba'avurech; the tense system: the use of the perfect (qatal) and the imperfect (yiqtol), the imperfect with vaw ha'hipuch, the perfect with vaw ha'hipuch; the tautological infinitive (e.g. haloch halchu, tarof toraf); construction of the infinitive construct with subject and object (la'asoto, b'vo'o); the nominal clause (sheker ha'chen, hevel ha'yofi); types of subordination and coordination; the relative clause; conjunctions (ki, ya'an, ekev, al ki, al ken, ka'asher, pen, af); word order. Textual material will be taken from: (prose) I Samuel 19-21, Exodus 19-20; (poetry) Amos 1-2, Isaiah 6, and Psalms 1 and 126.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Hebrew (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READING

Computer program Biblical Hebrew from www.davka.com

ELEMENTARY MODERN HEBREW
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to use basic conversational skills, read vocalized and unvocalized texts, write page-long compositions and comprehend simple reading passages; understand the consonant and vowel systems, their divisions and characteristics; analyze Hebrew words as to their roots, prefixes and suffixes; identify parts of speech; know the basic rules of Hebrew syllables and accent; and inflection of verbs and nouns; infer grammatical structure from contextual sentences and place correct grammatical form and thus integrate grammar learned to give proper tense and noun forms; translate English sentences into Hebrew, use the pronominal form, switch statements into questions, switch singular sentences into plural form, write 120 word essay on one of three topics, and give an oral presentation in Hebrew on another topic.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Hebrew alphabet, writing system (print and cursive), sound system, simple and complex language constructions, elementary grammar and a vocabulary of approximately 600 words.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Hebrew (8/04).
REQUIRED READING: Edward Horowitz, How The Hebrew Language Grew (New York: Ktav, 1960; reprinted 2001).

INTERMEDIATE MODERN HEBREW
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to read a Hebrew story, translate it into English, answer questions on the story in Hebrew, and paraphrase Hebrew stories in his own words; write a 200 word essay on a topic that incorporates previously learned grammar and syntax, inferring more advanced grammatical structures from contextual sentences and placing correct grammatical form, and thus integrate grammar learned to give proper tense and noun forms; deliver a short speech in Hebrew on a specific topic.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Vocabulary of 1200 words sufficient to read newspaper articles, poetry, and prose in simplified Hebrew and demonstrate further development of conversation skills.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Hebrew (8/04).
REQUIRED READING: Edward Horowitz, How The Hebrew Language Grew (New York: Ktav, 1960; reprinted 2001).

HILCHOT KASHRUT - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recall terms; give examples; chose the best statement that applies; identify the results of a scenario; distinguish between possibilities; solve problems from vignettes; find errors in a scenario; and design and formulate a solution to a new problem integrating knowledge from several areas and supporting the solution.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Underlying concepts and principles of the laws of Kosher food as found in the Code of Jewish Law, Yoreh Deah: Bitul b'rov, bitul b'shishim, ben yomo, yavesh b'yavesh, lach b'lach, chelev, kli rishon, kli sheni, irui.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Jurisprudence, or Religion (8/04).
REQUIRED READINGS:

http://koltorah.org/index2.html

HILCHOT SABBATH - ELEMENTARY LEVEL
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recall terms; give examples; chose the best statement that applies; identify the results of a scenario; distinguish between possibilities; solve problems from vignettes; and find errors in a scenario
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Underlying principles and concepts of the laws of Sabbath as found in the Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chayim: melacha, mutar, patur, chayav, 39 avot melachot, mishkan, av, tolada, sh'vut, muktzeh, eruvin, hotza'ah, and positive commandments of: zachor, oneg, kavod, prayers.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Jurisprudence, or Religion (8/04).
REQUIRED READINGS:

HILCHOT SABBATH - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recall terms; give examples; chose the best statement that applies; identify the results of a scenario; distinguish between possibilities; solve problems from vignettes; find errors in a scenario; and design and formulate a solution to a new problem integrating knowledge from several areas and supporting the solution.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered include: Underlying principles and concepts of the laws of Sabbath as found in the Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chayim: melechet machshevet, kil'achar yad, maaseh oman, mekalkel, melacha she'eina tz'richa legufa, psik reisha, psik reisha d'lo nicha lei, psik reisha d'lo ichpat lei, mit'asek, shogeg, shinui.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Jurisprudence, or Religion (8/04).
REQUIRED READINGS:

HILCHOT SABBATH - ADVANCED LEVEL
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recall terms; give examples; chose the best statement that applies; identify the results of a scenario; distinguish between possibilities; solve problems from vignettes; find errors in a scenario; and design and formulate a solution to a radically new problem integrating knowledge from several areas and supporting the solution.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Underlying principles and concepts of the laws of Sabbath as found in the Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chayim: the av melacha and tolada of each of the 39 melachot.
Credit recommendation: In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 3 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Jurisprudence, or Religion (8/04).
REQUIRED READINGS:

JEWISH MUSIC

RECOMMENDED READING: Chadish Media Tapes; JBA Hazzanut tapes; Printout on history of Jewish music and liturgy

ADVANCED CANTILLATION OF THE BIBLE II
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: January 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recognize the text distinguishing it from other liturgical pieces; be able to rapidly adapt to different repertoire; recall the appropriate information (melody) from among many possibilities; focus on the proper melody from among many; assemble the components in his mind; and express the melody with classic interpretation and being able to sing the melodic line within the basic rules of Hebrew grammar, specifically: proper smichut of the words and proper pronunciation.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: The music and grammar of the cantillation system concentrating on the Polish-Lithuanian and German tradition and covering the ta'amim of the books of Esther, Ruth, Lamentations, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes. The candidate is expected to read and chant according to the specific musical notation of each book any verse at random and demonstrate awareness of thematic content and its relationship to the melodic nusach.
Credit recommendation: In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 4 semester hours in Jewish Music (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READING: Chadish Media Tapes; JBA Hazzanut tapes; Printout on history of Jewish music and liturgy

SABBATH PRAYER CHANT AND LITURGY
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: January 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recognize the text distinguishing it from other liturgical pieces; be able to rapidly adapt to different repertoire; recall the appropriate information (melody) from among many possibilities; focus on the proper melody from among many hundreds; assemble the components in his mind; and express the melody with classic and own interpretation and being able to sing the melodic line within the basic rules of Hebrew grammar, specifically: proper smichut of the words and proper pronunciation.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Shabbat prayer chant and its interpretation in the contemporary synagogue in its formal and improvisational aspects; application of nusach components of the music. The candidate is expected to recognize and chant according to classic Nusach melody and mode any verse at random from the following three hour long Sabbath service: Kabbalat Shabbat, Shacharit, and Musaf and demonstrate awareness of thematic content and its relationship to the melodic nusach.
Credit recommendation: In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 6 semester hours in Jewish Music (8/04).

THREE FESTIVALS PRAYER CHANT AND LITURGY
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: January 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to recognize the text distinguishing it from other liturgical pieces; be able to rapidly adapt to different repertoire; recall the appropriate information (melody) from among many possibilities; focus on the proper melody from among many hundreds; assemble the components in his mind; and express the melody with classic and own interpretation and being able to sing the melodic line within the basic rules of Hebrew grammar, specifically: proper smichut of the words and proper pronunciation.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Prayer chant for the Three Festivals and analysis of all the Festival services with an emphasis on special music for the TAL and GESHEM prayers and improvisation techniques. The candidate is expected to recognize and chant according to classic Nusach melody and mode any verse at random from the following four hour long Three Festival holiday liturgy: Maariv, Shacharit including Hallel, Musaf including the classic Tal and Geshem recitations and demonstrate awareness of thematic content and its relationship to the melodic nusach.
Credit recommendation: In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 6 semester hours in Jewish Music (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READING: Chadish Media Tapes; JBA Hazzanut tapes; Printout on history of Jewish music and liturgy; Noah Schall, "Hazzanut for Three Festivals" (New York: Tara Music Publications).

TALMUD

ELEMENTARY TALMUD
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: To prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to read any unseen page of the Babylonian Talmud; understand the Aramaic grammar and vocabulary; comprehend talmudic legal expressions and terminology; understand types of statements (information statements, legal statements, explanatory statements, qualifying statements, and arguments), information questions (resolution of a legal issue, authorship of a citation, source of citation), attack questions (that statement is false or unnecessary), answers to attack questions (new explanation; qualification limiting the law; attack on the question), logical proofs, and laws presented in association with a case, and how they are linked to form the dynamics of talmudic logic and argumentation, and how to learn from basic commentaries such as Rashi; infer the underlying premise of the talmudic text, evaluate the relationship between parts of the legal discussion, restate in one’s own words, and support the different points of view; propose alternative suggestions; state what ideas justify conclusions and defend this position.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Reading and translation; talmudic idiom; talmudic expressions and terminology; analysis of dynamics of talmudic logic and argumentation; and analysis of basic commentaries, such as Rashi. The candidate is expected to read and understand unseen Aramaic texts.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Jurisprudence, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).

N.D. Rabinowich, Talmudic Terminology (New York: Mozanim Publishing, 1996)

INTERMEDIATE TALMUD
Location: Jewish Bible Association, Jerusalem, Israel.
Length: Proficiency examination program administered at the offices of the Jewish Bible Association.
Dates: June 2004 - Present.
Objectives: In addition to learning objectives in Elementary Talmud, to prepare for the examination, the candidate is expected to be able to read and comprehend commentaries which have a plain answer buried among a mass of material; ferret out the one line interspersed between many paragraphs in the commentary that gives the legal codification; infer the underlying premise of the talmudic and commentary text; evaluate the relationship between parts of the legal discussion; restate in one’s own words and support the different points of view; propose alternative suggestions; state what ideas justify conclusions and defend this position, and suggest which commentary is more logical and appropriate to the topic.
Instruction: The proficiency examination process is intended to measure a body of knowledge that the candidate has acquired through other learning experiences. Each examination is administered under secure and proctored conditions. Content covered includes: Advanced commentaries (Rashi, Tosaphot, Rosh), determining alternative interpretations, asking relevant logical questions, the talmudic argumentative and deductive process, and the methodology of early commentators and its effect on codification of Jewish law. The candidate is expected to read and understand more complex unseen Aramaic texts.
Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours in Judaic Studies, Jurisprudence, Near Eastern Studies, or Religion (8/04).
RECOMMENDED READING LIST

N.D. Rabinowich, Talmudic Terminology (New York: Mozanim Publishing, 1996)