The Open University of Israel
name

Dr. Netanel Fisher

Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication

Updated: January 2014
 

Personal

Address: Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communications
The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, POB 808, Raanana 4353701, Israel


Tel: 972-9-7781715
Fax: 972-9-7780660

E-mail: [email protected]

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Education

2011  Ph.D. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Political Science. Doctoral Dissertation: Conversion and the State: Israel's Policy on Conversion to Judaism, 1948-2004. Advisors:  Prof. Emanuel Gutmann and Dr. Aviad HaCohen.
2007 M.A.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Political Science.
2002 B.A. The Open University, Humanities and Social Sciences (cum laude).
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Academic Appointments

2013 – Visiting Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication, The Open University of Israel.
2012 – 2013 Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication, The Open University of Israel.
2012 – 2013 Adjunct Lecturer, The Hebrew University, Department of Political Science and the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo.
2011 – 2012 Visiting Scholar, Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan.
2010 – 2011 Research Fellow, Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania.
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Other Relevant Positions

2013 – Head of research group, "Research Group for Converts, Returnees, and Adherents: New Ways of Joining the Jewish People", The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.
2011 – 2012 Associate Researcher, The Israel Democracy Institute.
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Publications

Reference Articles

Netanel Fisher. 2013. "A Jewish State? Controversial Conversions and the Dispute over Israel's Jewish Character". Contemporary Jewry, 33 (3): 217-240.

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Chapters in Refereed Books

Netanel Fisher (Forthcoming).  "Opposition, Integration, and Ambiguity – The Israeli Chief Rabbinate’s Policies Regarding Conversion to Judaism", in: Bastards and Believers: Converts and Conversion between Judaism and Christianity, edited by P. Maciejko and T. Dunkelgrün, Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

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Other Chapters in Academic Books

Netanel Fisher. 2013. “Introduction to the History of Conversion in the IDF”, in Book and Sword (Safra v-Saifa – Jubilee Book in Honor of Rabbi M. Piron, edited by A. HaCohen, and Z. Tal, Jerusalem: Sapir Institute, 413-453. (Hebrew)

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Book Reviews

Netanel Fisher (2014), Review of Guy Ben-Porat, Between State and Synagogue: The Secularization of Contemporary Israel, Cambridge University Press, 2013, in Israel Studies Review, Summer 2014, Volume 29, Issue 1.

Netanel Fisher (Forthcoming), Review of David Ellenson and Daniel Gordis, Pledges of Jewish Allegiance, Stanford University Press, 2012, in Identities: Journal of Jewish Culture and Identity, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. (Hebrew)

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Other Academic Publications

Netanel Fisher (Forthcoming), The Conversion Challenge in Israel – Analysis and Recommendations: Policy Paper. Jerusalem: The Israel Democracy Institute. (Hebrew)
Yedidia Stern and Netanel Fisher (Eds.). (Forthcoming), Conversion in Israel, Jerusalem: The Israel Democracy Institute. (Hebrew)

 

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Selected Papers at Scientific Conferencess

"Who is a Jew in Israel: Did Israel Succeed in Untying the Knot?", Who Is A Jew?: Reflections on History, Religion, and Culture, The Creighton University Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln Harris Center for Judaic Studies, Omaha, Nebraska, October 28-29, 2012.

"Israel as a Proselytizing State: Judaism in Israel between Religion and Nationality," Annual Conference of the Association for Israel Studies, Brandeis University, June 2011.

"Judaizing in the Contemporary World: Global Perspectives," Session Chairman, Taking Turns: New Perspectives on Jews and Conversion, Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania, May 2-3, 2011.

“The Conversion Crisis in Israel – What is It All About?” A Tale of Two Capitals – Dialogues on Contemporary Jewish Challenges in Israel and the US, American University, Washington, D.C. and the American Friends of the Hebrew University, January 16, 2011.

“Is Halacha Relevant in Matters of State? Conversion as a Case Study,” Annual Conference of the Israeli Association for Political Science, The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel, May 2010.

“‘Who is a Jew’ in Israel? The Current Debate,” World Congress of Jewish Studies, The Hebrew University, Israel, August 2009.

 “Nationality, Religion and State: The Non-Jewish Immigration to Israel between the 1950's and 2000”, Annual Conference of the Israeli Association for Political Science, The Academic College Emek Yizrael, Israel, May 2009.

 “Conversion as a State Function: The Case of Israel” (with Prof. Emanuel Gutmann), Conference of International Sociological Association (ISA),Barcelona, Spain, September 2008.

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Selected Awards and Grants

2013-2014

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Fellowship at the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA), (awarded but not taken due to personal circumstances). 

2011-2012

Post-doctoral fellowship at the Bernard Cherrick Center for History of Zionism, the Yishuv and the State of Israel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (awarded but not taken due to personal circumstances).  

2009-2011

Eilat Fund for Studies on USA Jewry and USA – Israel Relations, Political Science Department, The Hebrew University. .

2007-2008; 2009-2010

Shier Awards for Studies in Jewish Political Thought, Gilo Center for Citizenship and Civic Education, The Hebrew University.

2008-2010

Cherrick Fund for Studies in the History of Zionism, the Land of Israel and the State of Israel, Institute for Contemporary Judaism, The Hebrew University.

2007-2009

The Levi Eshkol Institute for Social, Economic and Political Research in Israel and Shain Institute, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Hebrew University.

2003-2004

The Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations, The Hebrew University, Fellowship Grant.

2000

Dean's Recognition of Excellence, The Open University.

2000

Second place and pecuniary reward in article competition, Rothschild Fund, Yad Avi Hayishuv.

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