Dr. theol. (University of Heidelberg, 1986); Ph.D. in Jewish Studies (Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New York, 1992); Habilitation in Jewish Studies (Free University Berlin, 1997); Senior Research Fellow (King's College, Cambridge, 1992-1994); Leipnitz project on "The Talmud Yerushalmi and Graeco-Roman Culture" (Free University Berlin, 1994-2000); 1997-98: Yad Hanadiv Fellow (The Hebrew University, Jerusalem); Heisenberg Professor (German Research Council, 1999-2000); 2000-2005: Al and Felice Lippert Chair of Jewish Studies at Trinity College Dublin and Director of the Herzog Centre for Jewish and Near Eastern Culture and Society; 2003: Lady Davis Visiting Research Professor at the Hebrew University Jerusalem; 2005-7: Reader in the Religions of the Middle East (SOAS, University of London); since 2007: Professor of Jewish Studies (SOAS, University of London); 2017-20: Visiting Professor at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Research Interests
My research focuses on the social history, literature, and culture of Jews in Roman Palestine in the Roman and Byzantine periods. I have published books and articles on issues concerning the daily life of Jews in the Land of Israel in antiquity (literacy, travel and mobility, slavery) and on rabbinic culture and the Talmud Yerushalmi (the social structure of the rabbinic network, rabbinic body language, rabbinic scholastic and compilatory practices) within the context of Graeco-Roman and ancient Christian societies. My current research focus is on the relationship between rabbinic civil law in the Bavot tractates of the Talmud Yerushalmi and Hellenistic and Roman Law (collaborative AHRC-DFG project, 2023-26).
I also occasionally publish articles on topics concerning modern Judaism, especially on modern Jewish literature and representation of the Holocaust. I am currently working on a study of contemporary German Jewish women writers' complex reflections on transnational Jewish identity.
Teaching and Learning
I currently teach the following modules:
- UG Jewish Identity from Ancient to Modern Times
- UG The Holocaust and the Problem of Evil
- PG Jewish Thought in its Historical, Political, and Cultural Contexts
PhD Supervision Availability
Yes
PhD Topics
Jewish history, literature and culture in Hellenistic and Roman times; rabbinic literature; ancient Jewish social history and daily life; comparisons between rabbinic, Graeco-Roman, and Byzantine Christian culture; women and gender roles in ancient Judaism and Jewish law.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
