Ofir Haim

I am an M.A. student in the department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. My main academic interests are Medieval Persian historiography and Medieval history of Iran, specifically Jewish history during the pre-Mongol period. I am also very interested in Early Judeo-Persian and Early New Persian philology, particularly of a corpus of texts that received the title “the Afghan Genizah.” These texts, which were reportedly found in northeastern Afghanistan and dated to the 10^th and 11^th centuries, provide unique information about the historical, cultural, social and religious background of the Jews in historical Khurāsān. Moreover, these texts form a valuable basis for linguistic studies concerning the development of the Early New Persian, and in particular of Early Judeo-Persian. My M.A. thesis focuses on the legal documents and letters – written in both Early Judeo-Persian and Early New Persian – which are found in the National Library of Israel.

Higher Education

2011-2013   M.A., Dept. of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Thesis topic (temporary): “The Jews of Khurāsān in light of the ‘Afghan Genizah’ (10^th-11^th cent.).” Advisors: Prof. Shaul Shaked and Dr. Julia Rubanovich (to be submitted during 2014).

2008-2011   B.A., Dept. of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and Dept. of Economy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (degree awarded 2012, magna cum laude).

Academic Experience

2011-2013   Research Assistant to Prof. Shaul Shaked (Dept. of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies), historical and philological analysis of texts in Early New Persian and Early Judaeo-Persian from Northern Afghanistan (The “Afghan Genizah”).

2009-2013  Research Assistant to Prof. Menahem Milson (Dept. of Arabic Language and Literature), The Arabic-Hebrew online dictionary.

2010-2011   Research Assistant to Prof. Ron Shaham (Dept. of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies), The Crisis of Authority in Islamic Law from the late 19^th century to date.

Publications

"Documents from Afghanistan in the National Library of Israel" Ginzei Kedem (forthcoming)

Academic Honors and Awards

2013   The Gilad Bartov Award for excellent students, The Gilad Bartov Expandable Fund for the Institute of Asian and African Studies.

2013 The Amnon Netzer Award in Iranian studies, The Iranian Jewish Women Organization.

2013   The Center for Research on Bukharan Jewry Award, The Ben Zvi Institute.

2012   The Nehemia Levzion Award, The Nehemia Levzion Center for Islamic Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

2011 The Amnon Netzer Award in Iranian studies, The Iranian Jewish Women Organization.

Conferences

 “The ‘Afghan Genizah’: Unveiling Unknown Jewish Communities”. The 37^th Annual Conference of the Middle East & Islamic Studies Association of Israel (MEISAI), Tel Aviv University, June 2013.

“The ‘Afghan Genizah’ – 10^th-11^th centuries.” Seminar on “Old and New in the Silk Road – The Jews in Asia,” Accademia Ambrosiana, Milan, June 2013.