Orian Zakai

Orian Zakai holds an MA (Tel-Aviv University) and a PhD (University of Michigan) in Comparative Literature. She specializes in Modern Hebrew literature and culture and gender studies. Her current research focuses on the inception of Zionist feminist thought in Hebrew women’s literature from the pre-state period. She has taught Hebrew language, literature and culture, as well as courses in Judaic studies, Women’s studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan and at Middlebury College. In her teaching, she takes an interdisciplinary approach to literature and culture, exploring their intersections with history and politics. Her language acquisition methodology emphasizes communication in meaningful contexts and attention to the diversity of learners and learning styles.