The Center for Jewish Studies in the School of Humanities and Arts at Rice University is seeking to hire the Kraft Family Professor of Jewish Studies, a full-time senior level scholar in modern Jewish Studies who will also serve as the next Center Director for a renewable term of 3-5 years. As the next Center Director, we are seeking an individual who has significant administrative and institution-building experience, is strategic, inspirational, and visionary, with a broad-minded and interdisciplinary approach to Jewish Studies. The successful candidate must qualify for an appointment in one of the departments in the School of Humanities and Arts. We are seeking a candidate with broad experience and familiarity with many levels and avenues of public engagement with Jewish culture and history, theoretical positions, and cutting-edge research; an experimental mindset; and the desire to foster a collaborative research environment in a diverse educational setting. The center's curriculum and research clusters are in dialogue with other departments, centers, and programs across the humanities (such as History; Religion; Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; English and Creative Writing; Art History; and Media Studies). These research clusters also aim to connect with interdisciplinary centers like the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality and the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies. We seek a candidate who can participate in the process of expanding and redefining a Jewish Studies curriculum and building research initiatives in this dynamic context. The Center for Jewish Studies—which formally elevated from a program to a center on July 1, 2026—aims to convene an active community of faculty and postdoctoral scholars whose collaborations elevate Rice's profile internationally. A successful candidate will bring organizational and strategic thought leadership as future Center Director; shape the academic profile of the newly created Center; engage and maintain an active and ambitious program of research and scholarship; foster innovative research clusters; collaborate with the curator of the Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives; participate in student mentoring and advising; teach and develop courses, and serve on department and university committees. The search is particularly interested in candidates whose scholarly focus is in the 19th and 20th centuries and in one of the following fields: Jewish thought, history, or culture; Holocaust Studies; or the critical study of modern antisemitism. Candidates must hold a PhD in Jewish Studies, History, Religion, Cultural Studies, Literary Studies, English, Art History, or a closely related field in the humanities. Required qualifications include a proven record of distinguished scholarly publication commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, administrative and leadership experience at the department or center/program level, exceptional organizational and collaborative skills, and a strong record of undergraduate- or graduate-level teaching and mentoring. Review of applications will begin immediately, continuing until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, application materials should be submitted by November 10, 2026. All applications must be submitted via Interfolio [https://apply.interfolio.com/192749]. Appointment begins July 1, 2027.

Applicants should upload:

A cover letter summarizing your interest and qualifications for both the endowed chair and the Center directorship. A current curriculum vitae, including a summary of your administrative and institution-building experience. A statement of research outlining your ongoing agenda, publication plan, and vision for interdisciplinary research clusters. A statement of teaching philosophy, including courses you could offer at the undergraduate level. Representative publications appropriate to your discipline (scholarly articles or book excerpts). Contact information for 3 to 5 professional references. Rice University is a highly selective and highly ranked private research university with approximately 4,800 undergraduate and 4,100 graduate students, supported by 900 full- and part-time faculty. Rice University is committed to groundbreaking research and unsurpassed education for the betterment of the world. It is known for its commitment to equitable access for students of all economic backgrounds and to freedom of scholarly inquiry. Rice is located in Houston, Texas, a culturally diverse metropolitan city with a vibrant intellectual, museum, and cultural community. The Center for Jewish Studies enjoys strong cross-disciplinary partnerships across the university and collaborates with regional partners such as Holocaust Museum Houston and the Texas Medical Center.