David Stern

David Stern is the Harry Starr Professor of Classical and Modern Jewish and Hebrew Literature at Harvard University’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, with a secondary appointment in Comparative Literature. Previously, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania and held visiting positions at institutions including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Princeton University. He joined Harvard in 2015 and served as Director of the Center for Jewish Studies until 2023.

Education: B.A. in 1972 from Columbia College; Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Harvard University (1980).

Research Interests: Stern’s work focuses on Jewish literary creativity across historical contexts, particularly

• Classical Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew literature
• Biblical interpretation (midrash)
• Intersection of contemporary literary theory with ancient texts
• History of the Jewish book as material object

Teaching: Courses include seminars on primary sources like Midrash and Talmud, comparative studies of Jewish and Christian biblical exegesis, and interdisciplinary courses such as “Catastrophe and Continuity in Jewish Literature” and “The Binding of Isaac”. He also teaches a freshman seminar using Harvard’s Houghton Library to explore the history of the book.

Key Awards:

• Harvard Society of Fellows Junior Fellowship
• Radcliffe Institute Fellowship
• Guggenheim Foundation Grant

Publications: Over 10 major works, including The Jewish Bible: A Material History (2017) and Jewish Literary Cultures II (2019). He has curated exhibitions like Chosen: Philadelphia’s Great Hebraica (2011) and produced educational videos on Jewish textual history.