Lisa Fishbayn Joffe

Lisa Fishbayn Joffe is a Lecturer in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University and serves as the Shulamit Reinharz Director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. She is a faculty affiliate in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, focusing on conflicts between women's rights and cultural traditions, particularly in Jewish and secular family law. Her work bridges legal scholarship, feminist theory, and multiculturalism.

• Education:
  • Harvard University - S.J.D.
  • Harvard University - LL.M.
  • York University - LL.B.

Her research explores the intersection of gender, religion, and family law, with a focus on polygamy, agunah (chained women) in Jewish divorce, and multicultural toleration. She examines how legal systems balance individual autonomy with religious and cultural norms.

Selected publications include Gender, Religion and Family Law (2012), The Polygamy Question (2015), and co-edited works on Jewish women's studies. Her work has been cited in debates on legal pluralism, gender equality, and religious law reform.

Organizational Affiliations:

• Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (Director)
• Association for Jewish Studies
• Boston Agunah Task Force (Co-founder)