Ezra Tzfadya, M.A.
Biographie
Biographie
Ezra Tzfadya is a lecturer and research associate at the University of Bamberg's Oriental Studies Institute, Chair for Jewish Studies. He is writing his doctoral dissertation in Islamic Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg under the supervision of Prof. George Tamer titled "The Theocratic Idea and Modernity in Judaism and Shiite Islam: Sovereign Guardianship, Autonomy and the Law."
Through Bamberg's Center for Inter-religious Studies (ZIS), Ezra has conceived and will be convening a major international conference this April together with Florida International University in Miami titled "The Shia-Jewish Encounter: Texts, Contexts and Contemporary Implications." He was also responsible for the conception and management of the summer 2018 Bavarian Orient Colloquium with the theme " Jews, Judaism and Near Eastern Context." Ezra is a recipient of a German Academic Exchange (DAAD) doctoral fellowship, as well as a Fulbright. Ezra holds an M.A. from Princeton University in Religion, and a B.A. in Arabic and German from Dartmouth College. He is a North Miami Beach, Florida native.
Academic Employment
Academic Employment
- Otto Friedrich University, Bamberg. Institute for Oriental Studies
- Lecturer and Research Associate (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter)
- Chair for Jewish Studies (Supervisor: Prof. Susanne Talabardon)
- M.A. program in Cultural Studies of the Middle East (Bavarian Excellence Initiative)
Education
Education
July 2015-Present
Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Ph.D. Candidate, Islamic Studies (ABD)
DAAD (German Academic Exchange) Doctoral Fellow (2015-17)
Dissertation Title: “The Theocratic Idea and Modernity in Judaism and Shiite-Islam. Sovereign Guardianship, Autonomy, and The Law.”
Professor George Tamer. Chair for Islamic Studies. (Main Advisor)
September 2009- October 2013
M.A. Princeton University Religion
July 2007- May 2008
Fulbright Fellowship
Freie Universität zu Berlin: Islamic Studies
September 2003- August 2007
B.A. Dartmouth College. Arabic Language and Literature, German Studies (Majors).
Jewish Studies (Minor).
Languages
Languages
- English (Native)
- German (Near-Native)
- Hebrew (High Advanced)
- Arabic (High Advanced)
- Persian (High Advanced)
- French (High Intermediate, Advanced Academic Reading)
- Aramaic (Advanced Reading-Talmud)
- Turkish (Low Intermediate)
Publications
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles / Peer Reviewed Book Chapters
Talabardon S. & Tzfadya E. “The Concept of Faith in Judaism” in Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses: Faith. Tamer, G. ed. Boston/Berlin. De Gruyter: Forthcoming 2019
“Modern Shiite and Jewish Existence Philosophy in Dialogue: The Problem of Autonomy” (forthcoming) in Hajatpour R. ed. Tradition and Innovation- Avicenna and Mulla Sadra in Dialogue. Boston/Berlin: De Gruyter. Forthcoming 2019.
“Rethinking Leo Strauss’ Critique of Modernity in Light of Rav Kook and Khomeini .” in Philosophy and Law: Jewish and Islamic Thought between the Poles of Theocracy and Theology. Boston/Berlin: De Gruyter, Forthcoming 2019
“Living the Truth of a Free Europe: Community, Philosophy, and Responsibility in the Thought of Franz Rosenzweig and Walter Benjamin.” in The Rosenzweig Jahrbuch 3: The Idea of Europe. “ ed. Braser, M. Freiburg/München: Alber, 2008
Edited Publication
Tzfadya, Ezra. ed. Jews, Judaism and Near-East Context: Intercultural Productivity, Political Tensions and the Presence of Absence. Ergon Press. (In Preparation)
Academic Book Translation
Tamer, George. Islamic Philosophy and the Crisis of Modernity: Leo Strauss’s Interpretation of Alfarabi, Avicenna und Averroes. An updated English Translation of Islamische Philosophie und die Krise der Moderne: Das Verhältnis von Leo Strauss zu Alfarabi.. Avicenna und Averroes. Trns. Tzfadya, E New York: SUNY. Forthcoming 2019.
Focus on Teaching and Research
Focus on Teaching and Research
- Jewish and Islamic Political Thought
- Methods and Theories in the Study of Religion
- Political Theology
- Middle East Politics and Constitutionalism