At Shandong University on China's east coast, the sound of Hebrew fills a classroom—with the help of Hebrew College Online (HCO).

In late September, 12 students at the University's Center for Judaic and Inter-Religious Studies—the largest Jewish studies program on the mainland—began taking an HCO course in Hebrew language. The class completes Web-based course work and meets regularly on campus to practice Hebrew conversation and discuss assignments.

"We've had individual Asian online students before," says HCO Dean Nathan Ehrlich, "but this is the first cohort of Asian students studying together through HCO."

The Shandong connection came about thanks to three unrelated men named Ehrlich. When the Jewish studies instructor, Professor M. Avrum Ehrlich, decided he needed support in teaching Hebrew to his students, he posted a query on H-Judaic, a Jewish studies discussion group affiliated with Hebrew College. One of the group's subscribers in Australia, Fred Ehrlich, read Avrum's post and subsequently referred him to the HCO dean.

back to top