Ilana Szobel

lana Szobel is Professor of Modern Hebrew Literature on the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Chair. She received her doctorate in 2008 from New York University (Her dissertation won the 2007 Ben Halpern Award for Best Dissertation from the Association for Israel Studies). Her book, A Poetics of Trauma: The Work of Dahlia Ravikovitch (University Press of New England, 2013) is the first full-length study of the renowned Israeli poet, translator, peace activist, and 1998 Israel Prize laureate Dahlia Ravikovitch (1936-2005). Her book, Flesh of My Flesh: Sexual Violence in Modern Hebrew Literature (SUNY Press, Contemporary Jewish Literature and Culture book series, 2021), explores the literary history of sexual assault in Hebrew literature. The book was a finalist for the Concordia University Library - Azrieli Institute Award for Best Book in Israel Studies. Ilana Szobel has also authored various articles treating Hebrew literature, gender and trauma studies, psychoanalysis, disability studies, and Israeli film. By introducing students to works of art, film, dance, and music, she aims to expose students to the critical study of Hebrew and Israeli culture, gender studies, and disability culture. Her courses include “Introduction to Israeli Literature, Film, and Culture,” “The Holocaust in Jewish Literature,” “Minorities and Others in Israeli Literature and Culture,” “Trauma and Violence in Israeli Literature and Film,” Israeli Women Writers on War and Peace,” “Love, Sex, and Power in Israeli Culture,” and "Disability Cultures: Art, Film and Literature of People with Disabilities."