Modern Hebrew Teaching Internship

In cooperation with Rockwern Academy, the Department of Judaic Studies of the University of Cincinnati will offer a minimum of one and a maximum of three credits to students who serve as Modern Hebrew teacher's aids. The responsibilities of the UC students range from supervising conversations in Hebrew to tutoring selected Rockwern students 1 to 3 hours/week. Assignments will depend upon the needs of Rockwern and the qualifications of the UC students. In order to apply for the program, the UC student must have completed JUDC 102 or the equivalent. Only the most qualified applicants will be permitted to participate in the program. Applicants must demonstrate competency in Hebrew, enthusiasm for the Hebrew language, and an ability to work with elementary or middle-school aged children. If interested, please contact Prof. Matthew Kraus, Director of the Hebrew Program at the University of Cincinnati at matthew.kraus@uc.edu or 513-556-2298.

• Enhance UC student's ability in conversational Hebrew
• Transform students from passive into active learners
• Maximize the pedagogical potential of an experiential learning opportunity
• Create a meaningful community partnership

The primary impetus behind this project is to provide an experiential learning opportunity that will enhance students' competency in spoken Hebrew. Tutoring or supervising Hebrew conversation puts students in a situation that requires them to apply their Hebrew. Being with children forces students to speak more simply. By speaking and tutoring at a level well below their actual competence, the students will become more fluent in speaking basic Hebrew. Fluency in basic Hebrew allows students to become more skilled in advanced Hebrew. Teaching Hebrew is an excellent way to learn Hebrew. Being in a class where the primary teacher speaks Hebrew adds a further benefit. Besides enhancing Hebrew conversational ability, the program has a number of other advantages. The program concretely actualizes UC's mission to serve the local community. Students will develop skills in pedagogy that may they might apply in other settings. Rockwern will benefit from the extra help in the classroom. Modern Hebrew in particular can be difficult to teach because of the different levels of students and the difficulty of fostering small group discussion in Hebrew without direct supervision. UC students can provide another pair of hands (or lips!) that can transform the culture of a classroom. Finally, the value of the human relationships developed between UC and Rockwern students based on Hebrew is immeasurable.

Why Rockwern Academy? Rockwern is the only primary/secondary school that offers Modern Hebrew. While some UC students can and have found jobs teaching Hebrew at local synagogues and Temples, these opportunities tend to focus on reading not speaking. Moreover, it will be more beneficial to the UC students to be put in a supervised setting, supplementing an existing program rather than participating in a solo teaching experience where the focus would be more on teaching skills rather than the language itself. Of course, the internship program could be expanded if there are other opportunities to supplement a modern Hebrew program.

Students may register for JUDC 365, 366, or 367, Judaic Studies Practicum and receive credits to the following guidelines

• 1 hour/week=1 credit
• 2 hours/week=2 credits
• 3 hours/week=3 credits

Participation in the program requires approval of the director of the Hebrew Program. Interested students must complete an internship contract and meet with the director and a representative from Rockwern prior to being accepted as an intern. The director and Rockwern representative must approve all interns and will jointly determine the appropriate placement for selected interns.

Matthew Kraus
Field Service Assistant Professor
Undergraduate Director
Department of Judaic Studies
3508 French Hall West
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221
(513)556-2298
matthew.kraus@uc.edu

Etti Scheier
Coordinator of Jewish Programming & Outreach
Rockwern Academy
8401 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
Phone (513) 766-3170
etscheier@rockwernacademy.org