Jessica Roda

Jessica Roda is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, specializing in ethnomusicology and anthropology. Her work bridges music, religion, gender, and digital media, particularly focusing on Jewish communities. She holds dual PhDs from Université Paris 4 Sorbonne and Université de Montréal.

• Research Interests: Embodied spirituality, cross-cultural Indigenous knowledge integration, digital-age religious transformation, and gender in ultra-Orthodox contexts
• Awards: Society for Ethnomusicology Prize (2024), AJS Women’s Caucus Cashmere Award (2021)
• Public Engagement: Media contributions to BBC, LaPresse, The Conversation, and academic leadership roles (e.g., co-chair of Society for Ethnomusicology’s Jewish Music SIG)

Her current research explores sensory experiences like breathwork and psychedelics as pathways for spiritual transformation, examining how Indigenous plant medicine concepts are reinterpreted within Jewish frameworks. This work recontextualizes historical connections between Jewish traditions and alternative healing practices. Her 2024 monograph on ultra-Orthodox women’s artistic resistance and digital activism has been widely recognized.

Roda has held fellowships at institutions including Columbia University and UCLA, and collaborates internationally across Europe, Brazil, and North America. Her artistic background as a pianist, flutist, and dancer informs her interdisciplinary approach to cultural research.