Adam L. Rovner

Adam L. Rovner is an Associate Professor of English and Jewish Literature at the University of Denver and Director of the Center for Judaic Studies. He holds an MA from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1998) and a PhD from Indiana University-Bloomington (2003). His research focuses on Holocaust literature, Hebrew literature, colonial history, and Jewish nationalism, particularly the Territorialist movement. His acclaimed books include In the Shadow of Zion (2014) and The Jew Who Would Be King (2025). Rovner’s work examines alternative Jewish homelands proposed outside Israel, such as Angola, Madagascar, and Suriname, exploring themes of power, displacement, and cultural identity.

Education:

• Ph.D., Comparative Literature, Indiana University, 2003
• MA, Comparative Literature, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1998
• BA, English, Washington University, 1992

Research Interests: Rovner’s interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis and historical inquiry. He investigates how colonialism, nationalism, and diaspora shape Jewish identity, with a focus on lesser-known figures like Nathaniel Isaacs (subject of The Jew Who Would Be King) and the Freeland League’s territorialist projects. His work highlights the moral ambiguities of colonial power and the entangled histories of Jewish emancipation and antisemitism.

Grants & Projects: He served as a Davis Fellow at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2015–2016). His research includes archival expeditions to Africa, Europe, and South America, documented in his travel writings and documentaries like No Land Without Heaven.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Center for Judaic Studies, fostering interdisciplinary scholarship on Jewish culture, history, and contemporary issues.