Program in Jewish Studies Welcomes New Faculty Member

The Program in Jewish Studies at Rice University is delighted to welcome Dr. Ofra Amihay as the newest member of our faculty. Dr. Amihay will start at Rice in Fall 2023 as the Anna Smith Fine Lecturer of Jewish Studies. “We are thrilled that Ofra has accepted our invitation to join our team in the fall,” said Matthias Henze, director of the Program in Jewish Studies. “Our students will benefit immensely from her many areas of scholarly expertise.”
 
Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Amihay is a scholar of Hebrew and comparative literature with a special interest in text and image relations. She holds a PhD from New York University and has taught at Lawrence University, Georgetown University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Amihay has published articles on comics and graphic novels, Hebrew literature, children’s literature and photography.
 
She is excited about her move to Rice. “As a scholar of Jewish literature and visual culture I am honored and thrilled to join the uniquely interdisciplinary and diverse program in Jewish Studies at Rice University. I am much looking forward to get to know the faculty and students at Rice, and to share my experience in teaching and studying modern Jewish literatures in dialogue with other literatures and media. After spending over 16 years in various parts of the US, I am especially excited about the opportunity to explore Houston, with its exceptional Jewish community, and call it my new home.”