Sara Halpern

Sara Halpern is a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at St. Olaf College, affiliated with the Departments of Family Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her research focuses on global refugee crises, humanitarianism, and post-World War II transnational dynamics. She is completing a monograph examining Shanghai’s Jewish refugees between 1943-1949, exploring the intersection of decolonization, Cold War tensions, and antisemitism.

Halpern’s scholarship has been supported by prestigious fellowships including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Social Sciences Research Council. She teaches courses on modern Europe with transnational themes, emphasizing migration, racism, and empire studies. Her pedagogical approach prioritizes inclusive education for students of diverse backgrounds.

Recent research includes studies on statelessness among Jewish refugees in Shanghai and the management of elderly/disabled refugees in Shanghai during WWII. She has published in American Jewish History and contributed to edited volumes by Palgrave MacMillan and Cambridge University Press.