Shay Hazkani

Shay Hazkani is an Associate Professor of History and affiliated with the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Program and Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on the social and cultural history of Palestine/Israel, Middle Eastern Jews, and the interactions between elites and non-elites in conflict zones. Hazkani holds a Ph.D. in History and Hebrew and Judaic Studies from New York University (NYU), an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, and a B.A. in Middle Eastern History from Tel Aviv University.

His landmark book *Dear Palestine: A Social History of the 1948 War* (Stanford UP, 2021) reinterprets the 1948 conflict through personal letters, challenging nationalist narratives. He has been awarded the 2023-2024 NEH Fellowship and the Korenblat Book Award. His recent article in *Jewish Social Studies* explores Moroccan Jewish experiences. Hazkani advocates for archival transparency, petitioning Israel’s Supreme Court to declassify intelligence archives. He previously worked as a journalist covering the West Bank and Israeli military.

• Teaching: Courses include Mizrahi Identity in Israel and Israel’s Occupation
• Activism: Co-petitioner for Shin Bet archive declassification (2019)
• Media: Co-created the documentary *The Soldier’s Opinion* (2022), based on his book