Eugene R Sheppard

Eugene R Sheppard serves as Associate Professor of Modern Jewish History and Thought in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, where he also directs the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry. His academic affiliations extend across multiple disciplines as Affiliated Faculty in the Department of Philosophy, Interdepartmental Program in History of Ideas, Department of History, and Interdepartmental Program in European Cultural Studies.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles
• Two M.A. degrees from University of California, Los Angeles
• B.A. from Occidental College

Sheppard's research centers on Intellectual History and Jewish Studies, with specialized focus on European Jewish refugees, Jewish nationalism, Zionism, and Modern German Jewish thought. His work examines intersections between historical writing and political philosophy, particularly through studies of Leo Strauss and Romanian Jewish writer Valeriu Marcu (1899-1942). He investigates how historical narratives express political modes of Hegelian realism and shape conceptions of secularization, legal thought, and diaspora identity.

His scholarly recognition includes:

• Mellon Seminar Fellowship (1995)
• Harry Starr Fellowship in Judaica at Harvard (2013-2014)
• Multiple Brandeis University course development awards (2010-2023)
• Norman Fund Faculty Award for Romania research (2022)
• GFSRA Grant for Romanian Jewish intellectuals research (2017-2018)

Sheppard actively shapes academic discourse through editorial leadership as co-editor of the Tauber Institute Series and founding co-editor of The Brandeis Library of Modern Jewish Thought (producing 12+ volumes). His recent grant-funded projects include team-taught courses on Crime and Justice with David Sherman and development of "Antisemitism: An Intellectual History" (2023). As Tauber Institute Director, he advances research on European Jewish history through publications, conferences, and collaborative initiatives examining refugee experiences and cultural legacies.