معرفی
Rebecca J. Epstein-Levi serves as Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Vanderbilt University, specializing in Jewish sexual ethics through unconventional interpretations of classical rabbinic texts to address contemporary issues of sexuality, disability, and neurodiversity.
Her research centers on the social dimensions of sex as inherently intertwined with identity and community, exemplified in her acclaimed book When We Collide: Sex, Social Risk, and Jewish Ethics. Epstein-Levi draws unexpected connections between ancient rabbinic discussions—spanning purity laws, capital punishment, and rabbinic interactions—and modern sexual ethics, revealing how canonical Jewish traditions offer guidance for navigating social risk during global crises like pandemics and climate change. Her work has been praised for its liberating approach and refusal to condescend to readers.
Epstein-Levi actively engages with public discourse via Twitter (@RJELevi) and balances academic work with culinary pursuits involving complex recipes and an extensive collection of kitchen knives, residing with her wife Sarah, cats Faintly Macabre and Chroma the Great, and a growing assortment of wire dinosaurs.
