Adi Nester

Adi Nester is an Assistant Professor and Levine-Sklut Fellow in Jewish Studies Education. Their research and teaching focus on the interplay between music, literature, and philosophy in German and German-Jewish traditions, with a particular emphasis on how aesthetics and identity intersect.

Education:

• Ph.D. in German Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Research explores Jewish difference through biblical-themed operas, German-Jewish literature, and the connections between music, pain, and pathology. Key publications include a 2025 book on German-Jewish identity and articles on topics ranging from Walter Benjamin’s language theories to Arnold Schoenberg’s operatic representation of law and identity.

Scientific Awards:

• Emerging Scholars in Jewish Studies Fellowship, Posen Society of Fellows
• Emerging Scholars Fellowship, Association for Jewish Studies

Adi teaches courses on German-Jewish literature, antisemitism, Holocaust representation, and the relationship between literature and music in the German tradition.