David Stern

David Stern is the Harry Starr Professor of Classical and Modern Jewish and Hebrew Literature at Harvard University, as well as a Professor of Comparative Literature and Director of the Center for Jewish Studies. He joined the Harvard faculty in 2015 after a distinguished career at the University of Pennsylvania. Stern's scholarship focuses on Jewish literary creativity within its historical and cultural contexts, exploring themes across Jewish literary history from the Bible to contemporary works. His teaching includes seminars on Jewish texts such as Midrash and Talmud, both in their original languages and in translation. Notable publications include "Parables in Midrash: Narrative and Exegesis in Rabbinic Literature" and "Midrash and Theory: Ancient Jewish Exegesis and Contemporary Literary Studies." He has received fellowships from prestigious institutions, including a junior fellowship at Harvard’s Society of Fellows and a Radcliffe Institute fellowship, as well as grants from the ACLS, NEH, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Through his research and teaching, Stern aims to deepen understanding of Jewish literature's impact on broader literary traditions and foster critical engagement with texts across cultures.