“Learning Hebrew has opened the door to Israel Studies, but also to languages like Ladino and Yiddish, which are often written in Hebrew letters. Knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet has been indispensable in my work at the Washington State Jewish Archives.”
Emily Thompson (Master’s in Library and Information Science, 2016) received a 2015 FLAS Fellowship from the Middle East Center to support her study of Hebrew. She has since used her Hebrew language skills to conduct research in the Washington State Jewish Archives, in her work translating Ladino into English, and in her exploration of a career in Judaica librarianship. She wrote about these experiences for the UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. Read her articles at:
“Finding Sephardic Blessings and Johnny Carson in the WSJHS Archives”
“A Book Lover’s Tour of Judaica Libraries in Los Angeles”
Wall hangings at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. Credit: Emily Thompson
FLAS Fellowships are funded by the International and Foreign Language Education Office of the U.S. Department of Education. FLAS fellowships support undergraduate, graduate and professional students in acquiring modern foreign languages and area or international studies competencies. Students from all UW departments and professional schools are encouraged to apply. Find out more about the FLAS Fellowship here.
