Devin E. Naar

Devin E. Naar is the Isaac Alhadeff Professor in Sephardic Studies and Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at the University of Washington. He is also Chair of the Sephardic Studies Program at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies, housed within the Jackson School of International Studies.

Education:

• B.A., summa cum laude – Washington University in St. Louis
• Ph.D. in History – Stanford University
• Fulbright Fellow – Greece

Research Focus:

Dr. Naar’s scholarship centers on the Sephardic Jewish experience, particularly in the transition from the Ottoman Empire to modern nation-states. His work explores Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) culture, transnational migration, and the interplay between Jewish identity and state formation in the Balkans and the Americas.

He is currently working on his second book, Reimagining the Sephardic Diaspora, which examines the global dispersal of Sephardic Jews from the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of new diasporic hubs in Europe and the Americas, including Seattle.

Publications & Impact:

His first book, Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece (Stanford University Press, 2016), received the National Jewish Book Award and the Edmund Keeley Prize. His articles span topics from migration and identity to pre-Holocaust Jewish life in Thessaloniki.

Awards & Honors:

• National Jewish Book Award (2016) – Research Based on Archival Material
• Edmund Keeley Prize (2017) – Modern Greek Studies Association
• Fellow, Society of Scholars, Simpson Center for the Humanities (2013–2014)
• Named to JTNews’ “10 under 40” list of young Jewish leaders in Seattle (2012)

Teaching & Mentorship:

Dr. Naar teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in modern Jewish history, Sephardic culture, Holocaust memory, and transnational migration. He supervises MA and PhD students in Sephardic Studies, modern Jewish history, and transnational studies.

Digital Initiatives & Community Engagement:

As chair of the Sephardic Studies Program, he co-founded the Sephardic Studies Digital Library and Archive, a digital repository of over 1,500 Ladino artifacts. He leads public programs and collaborates with UW Libraries and community partners to preserve and promote Sephardic heritage, earning national and international media attention.