Rigorous Academic Study
The Schusterman Center is dedicated to supporting and growing the academic field of Israel studies.
Featured Content Slideshow
Research Guide to Israel Studies
We created a guide for scholars, educators, students, and anyone wanting to learn more about Israel. With expert-recommended resources and tips for effective research, this is a one-stop shop for Israel Studies queries, needs, and information.
Publications
We sponsor publications that seek to enlighten both a scholarly and non-scholarly audience with the latest research on the modern State of Israel.
The Summer Institute for Israel Studies
Our Summer Institute for Israel Studies equips higher-education faculty with the resources they need in order to take a rigorously academic approach to teaching about modern Israel on college campuses.
The IAIS 2024-25 fellows.
Apply now for the 2025-26 Institute for Advanced Israel Studies Fellowship
We are pleased to announce the theme for the 2025-2026 Institute for Advanced Israel Studies (IAIS): Diversifying the Israeli Diaspora. This hybrid fellowship will feature a virtual workshop series throughout the year, and an in-person conference at Brandeis university.
Learn more and apply
Promoting exemplary teaching and scholarship on the modern state of Israel
The Schusterman Center is unparalleled in the depth and breadth of its ambition and in the intellectual resources available to realize its goals.Like the best Israel studies centers, the Schusterman Center is dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of Israeli history, politics, culture and society. But its mission goes far beyond scholarship itself. The center is committed to creating and disseminating knowledge about the modern state of Israel, not just at Brandeis, but to a global audience.
The center is shaping and safeguarding the future of Israel studies by training the next generation of scholars in the field. Through innovative research and teaching programs, lectures, conferences, grants, publications, films and art exhibitions, complemented by a unique online resource site, the center is nurturing a worldwide community of people who are knowledgeable about Israel.
Check out our annual newsletter
Our 2024/25 newsletter features the accolades and accomplishments of our fellows, faculty and alumni, addresses the historical and cultural ramifications of ongoing conflicts and tragedies, profiles our Summer Institute for Israel Studies and the Institute for Advanced Israel Studies initiatives and showcases upcoming events. Read it now.
Catch us on the Tel Aviv Review podcast
Get ready for our Digital Humanities in Israel Studies conference, which takes place April 7-8: listen to "The 'Big Data' of Hebrew Literature" episode of "Tel Aviv Review" podcast. In this episode, IAIS Lead Fellow Yael Dekel discusses her project, the Literary Laboratory, which examines how digital methods can be used to study – and redefine – the canon of Hebrew literature. Listen to the episode. (Image courtesy of Tel Aviv Review.)
Meet our visiting scholars and artists in residence
We are honored to introduce our largest slate of visiting scholars and artists in residence we have hosted in a single year since our founding in 2007. Read about the visiting scholars and learn about the artists in residence (such as Neta and Stav) enriching our Center this year.
Watch event recordings on our YouTube channel
Did you miss an event you had hoped to attend? Looking for a resource to support your lesson plan or to offer as an extra credit assignment? Visit our YouTube channel to access recordings of select Schusterman Center events, including lectures, panel discussions and seminars on a wide array of topics in Israel studies. Subscribe to be notified when new videos are available. Consider sharing this resource with others you know who want to learn more about Israel. (Photo: clockwise from top right, Neta Elkayam, Caron Tabb, Dr. Shayna Weiss, and Prof. Yuval Evri.)
Your Research Guide to Israel Studies
Looking to learn, research, or teach about Israel? Explore our Research Guide to Israel Studies, a one-stop shop for Israel Studies queries, needs, and information. This free guide contains resources for researchers of every kind. From the high schooler writing a class report, to a journalist looking for reliable information, to a senior academic with thirty years' experience, everyone - especially those now working from home - will find it invaluable. Produced with the Israel Studies faculty at Brandeis University, in conjunction with other leading scholars, and edited by our associate director, Dr. Shayna Weiss, this is the most comprehensive guide of its kind available. Explore the Research Guide to Israel Studies.