Welcome to my website! I am a scholar of Jewish social, cultural, and religious history, and I hold the Lorry I. Lokey Chair in Judaic Studies at Portland State University’s Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies. My latest book, Stepchildren of the Shtetl, recovers the histories of Jewish Eastern Europe’s social outcasts: disabled and mentally ill people, beggars, and poor orphans, and I am currently engaged in a new project on vernacular religion across European Jewish communities in the modern era.
Teaching
My courses at Portland State University, many of which are cross-listed with the Department of History, explore various aspects of Jewish history and civilization.
Publications
My research is on the social, cultural, and religious history of European Jews in the modern period (19th-20th centuries).
Public Speaking
I offer a range of talks for the general public that can be given individually or as a set of teaching sessions over a weekend including traditional lectures and interactive sessions that actively engage the audience.