The Duke Center for Jewish Studies is pleased to welcome Aslan Cohen Mizrahi as the 2024-25 Perilman Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies. Born and raised in Mexico City, Aslan earned a BA in Economics from ITAM and a BA in Philosophy from UNAM. In 2014, Aslan moved to Chicago to pursue an MA in Religious Studies at the University of Chicago, where recently received a PhD in Hebrew Bible (2024). His interests range from the narrative voicing in the Pentateuchal Priestly History to the uses of biblical texts in the wake of the Holocaust. This fall he is teaching a first year seminar on “The Hebrew Bible and the Shoah.”
Regarding his dissertation, current work and project here at Duke, Dr. Cohen Mizrahi writes, "My doctoral work focused on the narrative known as the Priestly History (P), now part of the Pentateuch. In my dissertation, I argue that P reflects a radical commitment to Yahweh's sovereignty. This commitment permeates the work, informing everything from its storytelling technique to its conception of human agency and femininity. During my postdoc, I aim to revise and publish my dissertation as a book while beginning a new project on divine sovereignty in the books of Ezekiel and Job. I am also excited to teach courses on the Hebrew Bible and the Holocaust, the history of interpretation of the near-sacrifice of Isaac, and the dynamics of power and sexuality in the ancient Near East."
The Perilman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Jewish Studies honors the memory of Rabbi Nathan Perilman, who, after serving at Temple Emmanu-El in New York City, joined the Triangle-area Jewish community in his retirement. The Postdoc, established in 2013, has consistently supported recent graduates from the most rigorous institutions and of the highest caliber of scholarship. Fellows have gone on to prestigious positions at institutions like Hebrew U and UI, Urbana-Champaign, published numerous books and articles, and have become leading scholars in the field of Jewish Studies.
Center for Jewish Studies