Rachel Elior
Rachel Elior is an Israeli scholar of Jewish philosophy and Jewish mysticism. She is the John and Golda Cohen Professor Emerita of Jewish Philosophy and Jewish Mystical Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she taught from 1978 to 2010. Elior has been a visiting professor at several esteemed institutions including Princeton University, Tokyo University, University of Michigan, and Case Western Reserve University.
Her research interests focus on various aspects of Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, the history of the Jews in Eastern Europe, and the philosophy of time and messianism. She has written extensively on these topics, contributing significantly to the field with her innovative theories and interpretations. Elior has challenged conventional views on the origins of Jewish mysticism and has introduced new perspectives on the role of women in these spiritual movements.
Among her notable works are 'The Three Temples: On the Emergence of Jewish Mysticism' and 'Dybbuks and Jewish Women in Social History, Mysticism and Folklore'. Rachel Elior has received numerous accolades for her academic work, including the Gershom Scholem Prize for Research in Kabbalah. Her contributions have enriched the understanding of Jewish mysticism and have sparked further research and discussion in the academic community and beyond.