18 May 2022
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Story Rulanzen Martin
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Photo Supplied
Jon Kehrer is a prolific academic and scholar. He also spent a few years teaching English in the Middle East.
It was a former professor who influenced American scholar
Jon Kehrer to further his academic journey with the
Department of Hebrew at the University of the Free State (UFS). And it was at the UFS where he recently graduated cum laude with a master’s degree in Hebrew, and was named recipient of the Dean’s Medal.
Although he never expected to receive the Dean’s Medal, he is very glad – and somewhat relieved – that his dissertation made it through the examiners. “I never anticipated receiving this award. It makes me even more grateful for the strong Hebrew Department at UFS, and their rigorous standards for their students,” Kehrer says.
“I wish I had been able to attend the graduation ceremony, but the circumstances of the semester just did not allow it.” Kehrer is currently teaching in the areas of the Old Testament and Biblical Languages at the
Ozark Christian College (OCC) in Missouri, USA. In addition to his UFS qualifications Kehrer also holds a Bachelor of Theology qualification from the OCC. “I love the opportunity to invest in students and help them see new perspectives,” he says.
UFS Hebrew a firm foundation for a solid academic career
“I was looking for a high-quality and challenging programme that was flexible, especially since I work full-time and have a large family,” Kehrer says, as he recalls how he initially decided to become part of the UFS. He remembers fondly how Dr Kevin Chau, senior lecturer in Hebrew at the UFS, motivated and supported him when he first enrolled for the BA Honours programme.
It is also a testament that the Department of Hebrew has made an impact internationally for the quality of its academic offerings. “Dr Chau helped me to think about how what I was learning would have an impact on my research and teaching in the future, and he was always quick to provide thorough and constructive feedback on my work,” Kehrer says.
Once enrolled for the master’s programme it was initially difficult to know which direction to pursue and what topic to research, but the guidance and support of his two advisors, Prof Cynthia Miller-Naude and Prof Jacobus Naude, was “very helpful”.
“They never dictated what paths I should pursue, but they listened carefully and provided expert guidance to help me choose the path that would best suit my interests and the needs of the field,” he says.
It was this support from the Department of Hebrew and its excellent reputation that came full circle when Kehrer was named Dean’s Medal recipient for achieving the highest marks of any student in a master’s qualification in the UFS Faculty of The Humanities.
Dissertation a closer look at verbs in Biblical Hebrew
His dissertation focused on Biblical Hebrew and how the object of a verb appears in various ways. “Sometimes an object appears by itself, but sometimes it can have a preposition or a two-consonant Biblical Hebrew particle along with it. Many Bible translations treat all these objects the same,” he says. “I wanted to try to understand why these variations occurred, so I looked at how different sentence elements might contribute to the variation. It was a fascinating study!”
Kehrer believes it is important for university students to continue studying classical subjects like Hebrew. “I think we can all learn much from those who have gone before us, and so much wisdom and insight is connected to these ancient Biblical Hebrew texts, texts that would be inaccessible to us without translation,” he says.
“I also think classical disciplines can help train students to think well and to read critically – essential skills for living in today’s ever-changing world.”