Deborah A. Starr

Deborah A. Starr is Professor of Modern Arabic and Hebrew Literature and Film in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. She also holds affiliations with Comparative Literature, Jewish Studies Program, and Performing and Media Arts departments. As Director of the Jewish Studies Program, Professor Starr plays a significant leadership role across multiple academic units.

Professor Starr earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on identity and intercommunal exchange in the modern Middle East, with particular emphasis on the Jews of Egypt. She has developed a distinctive scholarly approach that examines cosmopolitanism through the lens of colonialism, while also exploring Levantine identity as an alternative framework that challenges ethno-nationalism.

Starr's publications reveal a consistent trajectory examining representations of minority communities in Middle Eastern cultural production, particularly through cinema and literature. Her work shows increasing focus on Egyptian Jewish identity and the complex interplay between national narratives and minority experiences. A significant portion of her scholarship analyzes Togo Mizrahi's films as sites of intercultural exchange and coexistence in pre-1948 Egypt. Her research demonstrates interdisciplinary breadth, spanning literary analysis, film studies, urban studies, and cultural history.

Professor Starr has co-edited important collections including Mongrels or Marvels: The Levantine Writings of Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff (2011) and authored two major monographs: Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema (2020) and Remembering Cosmopolitan Egypt: Literature, Culture, and Empire (2009). Her recent work includes significant contributions to the Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women and numerous journal articles exploring cinema, urban space, and literary representations of Jewish Egyptian identity.

Starr actively engages with scholarly communities through interviews, media appearances, and collaborative projects. She has participated in podcast discussions about Egyptian cinema history and Jewish Egyptian identity, including conversations with Hanan Hammad about Togo Mizrahi and Layla Murad. Her work has been featured in media outlets including The New York Times and the American Jewish Committee. Professor Starr also contributes to academic discourse through her editorial work, peer review, and participation in scholarly conferences focused on Middle Eastern studies, Jewish studies, and film studies.