معرفی
Rafael Rachel Neis is a Professor of History and Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan, holding the Jean and Samuel Frankel Chair in Rabbinics. They serve as Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Ancient History. Neis earned a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies (NELC) from Harvard University, a Masters in Religious Studies from Boston University, and a law degree from the London School of Economics. Their training includes studies in painting at Bezalel Academy of Art & Design and Camden Working Men’s College.
Research focuses on late antique rabbinic culture, particularly in Roman Palestine and Sasanian Mesopotamia, and modern deployments of ancient Jewish texts. Key interests include the senses (especially sight), ritual, gender, classification, and multi-media knowledge-sharing through comics, zines, and workshops.
Awards include the Salon Baron Prize for their 2013 book The Sense of Sight in Rabbinic Culture, which pioneered studies on rabbinic visual culture. Their 2023 book When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven explores reproduction and species boundaries in ancient Jewish thought.
Neis’s affiliations include Judaic Studies, Comparative Literature, IRWG, IPAH, and STS. Their work bridges disciplines, engaging legal theory, religious studies, and science/technology studies.
