معرفی
Prof. Tova Ganzel is a Professor at the Multidisciplinary Department of Jewish Studies at Bar-Ilan University and Head of the Cramim Jewish Studies Honors Program. She previously served as director of the Midrasha – Institute for Advanced Torah Studies at Bar-Ilan University and is a certified women's halakhic advisor (yo'etzet halakha).
Dr. Ganzel holds a Ph.D. in Bible from Bar-Ilan University. Her academic journey reflects deep commitment to both traditional Jewish learning and academic biblical scholarship, navigating the complex interface between religious faith and critical academic inquiry.
Prof. Ganzel's research focuses on prophetic literature, ancient Near Eastern temples and second temple texts, the Jewish reception of biblical criticism from the eighteenth century to the present, and women as Halakhic Professionals. She has established herself as a leading scholar on Ezekiel's prophecies, particularly examining how his temple vision draws on Babylonian architectural elements. Her work bridges traditional religious belief and academic biblical scholarship, exploring how modern Orthodox Jews can engage with critical scholarship while maintaining religious commitments.
Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on temple studies, Ezekiel's prophecies, and faith-criticism interface. Recent works examine Babylonian influences on Ezekiel's temple vision, discrepancies between Ezekiel's sacrificial system and the Torah, and broader implications of biblical criticism for religious believers. The trajectory shows increasing sophistication in addressing how religious communities can integrate academic insights without compromising faith.
Among Prof. Ganzel's notable achievements:
- Recipient of the prestigious Tikvah Fellowship
- Author of multiple scholarly books including "Ezekiel's Visionary Temple in Babylonian Context" (2021), "Contextualizing Jewish Temples" (2020), "Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration" (2020), and "The Believer and the Modern Study of the Bible" (2019)
- Co-editor of "People of Faith and Biblical Criticism" (בעיני אלוהים ואדם: האדם המאמין ומחקר המקרא)
Prof. Ganzel has created vital spaces for dialogue between religious scholars and academic Bible scholars. She co-organized a two-year seminar at Beit Morasha in Jerusalem (5772-5773/2012-2014) that brought together rabbis, Torah scholars, and academic Bible scholars. As a woman scholar in Orthodox Jewish settings, she has navigated unique challenges in establishing herself as a respected Bible scholar while maintaining traditional religious commitments. Her work has been particularly influential in helping Modern Orthodox believers reconcile faith with academic biblical scholarship.
