Department of English Literature and Linguistics - Bar Ilan University

06/10/2026

Dear students, We are writing to you following the deeply disturbing news that a professor at our university was reportedly planning a mass killing of Arab citizens of Israel.
We are, of course, shocked and outraged by such horrendous plot. We recognize that this news may be frightening, painful and unsettling for you as Arab, Jewish and international students in our community. We are very sorry that you have to confront such terrible news as you prepare to join or return to the university.
As we prepare to begin the semester, we want you to know that we are here for you. Please feel free to reach out to us - to let us know what would help, or simply to talk. We want our department to be a place where you feel supported and respected, and where you can be fully yourselves.
With care and solidarity,
The Department of English Literature and Linguistics

04/10/2026

A heartfelt thank-you to Prof. Evan Fallenberg for his exceptional leadership of our department through some of the most turbulent and challenging periods in the history of our country, from COVID to the wars. Through it all, he has led with understanding, kindness, sensitivity, and genuine care for both faculty and students. We are deeply grateful for everything he has done for our department, and we were all very fortunate to have had him as our Chair.

And we warmly welcome Prof. Sharon Armon-Lotem as our Department Chair and wish her much success as she takes on this role once again.

18/09/2026

The world has lost another metaphysical writer. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/books/annie-dillard-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BlE.J9ox.p8UuPgnXTcwZ&smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawUZ9pZwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAzEwMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe8rTpLABtDnyn1YoZZ-LZPgzmyIrmFmmjGR6JrDEbCKgelk54bQsbzHVrI_I_aem_Ts1SFdYM5KP4eTOEh7ZTOA

Her Thoreau-like account of journeys in the woods, published when she was 28, was the first of many ruminations on life and nature, good and evil.

03/09/2026

RIP Gloria Steinem

Unflinching campaigner for women’s and civil rights who galvanised a generation of activists

04/08/2026

Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Taylor Johnston-Levy, on being awarded the prestigious Alon Scholarship! Each year, the Council for Higher Education awards just 25 Alon Scholarships to outstanding early-career faculty members across the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. This highly competitive award recognizes exceptional academic promise.

Dr. Taylor Johnston-Levy teaches courses on twentieth-century and contemporary American literature and fiction writing. Her book in progress, That Class Which Is Not One: Postmodern Realism and the White Lower Middle Class, is under contract with Oxford University Press. Most recently, she has conducted research on racial affect in African American fiction and on critical pedagogy at Israeli universities. Her Pushcart-nominated fiction can be found in Ninth Letter.

Congratulations, Dr. Taylor Johnston-Levy, on this well-deserved achievement! We wish you continued success in your research and teaching.

27/07/2026

Congratulations to our wonderful colleagues on receiving) prestigious grants from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF! 🎉
👏 Dr. Maria Esipova – Speech Acts at the Interfaces
👏 Prof. Yael Greenberg – Norm Sensitivity Beyond Gradable Constructions
👏 Prof. Lior Laks – Diversity in the Adaptation of Loanwords

Receiving an ISF grant is a remarkable achievement, reflecting the originality, significance, and excellence of research. Wishing you all every success with these exciting new projects. 🌟

20/07/2026

We are delighted to announce that our Prof Elinor Saiegh- Haddad has been elected an International Fellow of the British Academy. Election to the International Fellowship is the highest honour that the Academy confers on non-UK residents in recognition of scholarly distinction. Kudos on this amazing achievement to Prof. Saiegh-Haddad!

https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/fellows/profiles/elinor-saiegh-haddad-fba/

16/07/2026

Huge congratulations to our Dr. Taylor Johnston-Levy on being recognized as one of Bar-Ilan University's Outstanding Lecturers for 2025–2026 (תשפ"ו)! 🎉👏 It is a privilege to have you as a colleague in the Department of English Literature and Linguistics. Wishing you continued success and many more years of inspiring students! Congratulations! 🌷🎓

10/07/2026

PEN America interviewed more than 30 Israeli and Jewish writers and literary professionals, including Deborah Harris and DHA’s client Joanna Chen, in an attempt to gauge the effect the attacks of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza have had on the literary market. The result is an extensive report on the rising hostility and exclusion which are a threat to what PEN America is fundamentally committed to defending: a culture of free expression for all.

Read the full article through the link in the comments below.

05/07/2026

This year, 263 new doctoral graduates from across all BIU`s departments were awarded their PhDs. The newly minted doctors ranged in age from 24 to 79: this a wonderful reminder that the pursuit of knowledge has no age limit.

We are especially proud of the three new doctors from our department:
🎓 Dr. Danielle Nagler (supervised by Prof. William Kolbrener)
🎓Dr. Tatiana Verkhovtceva (supervised by Prof. Natalia Meir)
🎓 Dr. Sidney Gordon (supervised by Prof. Natalia Meir)

Congratulations to our newly minted doctors on this remarkable achievement! We wish you continued success in your academic and professional journeys. Congratulations, Doctors! 🎉🎓