Ruth Ben-Yehuda Adler is Teaching Professor of Hebrew in the Program in Judaic Studies at Brown University, where she has taught since 1989. She holds a B.A. in Hebrew and Arabic Language and an M.A. in Hebrew Language from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Before joining Brown University, she taught in the university's Division of Hebrew Language Instruction at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University, where she also trained teachers and developed instructional materials. Ruth was recognized as Outstanding Teacher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A specialist in Hebrew language pedagogy, Ruth's scholarship focuses on second-language acquisition, listening and viewing comprehension, heritage language learners, online language teaching, and contemporary approaches to teaching Modern Hebrew. She is the co-author of Daily Life in Israel: Listening and Viewing Comprehension (Magnes Press) and has published peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, and professional articles on Hebrew language pedagogy. She has presented her research and pedagogical innovations at numerous international conferences throughout North America, Europe, Israel, and Australia.
Since 2016, Ruth has chaired the Pedagogy Committee of the National Association of Professors of Hebrew (NAPH), where she has helped shape pedagogical initiatives, foster professional collaboration, and promote innovation in Hebrew language teaching. Previously, from 2002 to 2009, she served on the Hebrew Board of the National Middle East Language Resource Center, an initiative established by the U.S. Department of Education.
Ruth's contributions to teaching, scholarship, and community leadership have been recognized with Brown University's Undergraduate Council of Students Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Beyond Brown, Ruth founded and directed Providence Ulpan TAMAR, Rhode Island's first Hebrew ulpan for adults. She has also served for more than three decades as the Hebrew Language Consultant to the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, restructuring its language curriculum and mentoring faculty. Ruth have been recognized with the Charles Samdperil Award for Dedication to Jewish Education.
