Rachel Neis

Rachel Neis is an Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Department of History and the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan. She holds the Jean and Samuel Frankel Chair in Rabbinic Culture. Her expertise spans Judaism in Late Antiquity, Rabbinic literature, ancient law, and the history of the senses. Neis earned a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies from Harvard University (2007), a Master’s in Religious Studies from Boston University (2002), and a law degree from the London School of Economics (1995). She has been affiliated with the University of Michigan since 2007.

Research Interests: Neis focuses on Jewish cultures in the Mediterranean and Near East during late antiquity, exploring themes such as visual and material culture, minority spatial rituals, comparative legal theory, and the intersection of body, gender, and ritual. Her work bridges religious, social, and political contexts, emphasizing cross-cultural interactions.

Awards:

• Salon Baron Prize for best first book in Jewish Studies (2013)
• Jordan Schnitzer Award Honorable Mention (2010-2013)

Teaching & Research: Neis teaches courses on Talmud, ancient Jewish history, law and spirituality in early Judaism, Jewish visual culture, and spatiality in antiquity. Her current projects include a forthcoming book on rabbinic conceptions of reproduction and species, When a Woman Gives Birth to a Raven.