Joshua Shanes

Joshua Shanes serves as the Emanuel Ringelblum Professor of Jewish History at the University of California, Davis, specializing in modern Jewish intellectual and religious history with emphasis on Orthodox Judaism's evolution and contemporary manifestations.

His research portfolio explores critical intersections of religion, politics, and identity through historical lenses, particularly examining diaspora nationalism in Eastern Europe, antisemitism dynamics, and the evangelicalization of Orthodox theology. Current projects include tracing Jewish Orthodoxy from German origins to modern global contexts.

Notable scholarly contributions include the monograph Diaspora Nationalism and Jewish Identity in Habsburg Galicia (2012), with ongoing editorial work on an Orthodoxy reader for the Brandeis Library of Modern Jewish Thought.

Recognition includes:

• Ruth Meltzer Fellowship (2002-2003) for research on East European Jewish history
• Emanuel Ringelblum Professorship honor

Upcoming engagements feature a 2025 presentation on the religio-political theology of contemporary Orthodoxy at the University of Pennsylvania, reflecting active scholarly participation in current academic discourse.