In this podcast-episode, Barbara Prainsack (University of Vienna) speaks to Michal Kravel-Tovi, Professor for Sociology and Anthropology at Tel-Aviv University. Although Michal Kravel-Tovi is not a gender scholar, in her research gender questions keep finding her, rather than the other way around. She presents examples like her research of the grappling of the Brooklyn Chabad community with the belief in the continued existence of their Rebbe after his passing. As she found out women are expected to experience the presence of the Rebbe more intensely like men which puts great pressure on them. Her research on sexual violence and abuse in ultra-orthodox communities on the other hand showed that men or boys are affected by this no less than women are. However, Michal Kravel-Tovi not only investigates ultra-orthodox communities. She also looks at the phenomenon of self-marriage among secular women of the global North.

For more information about the topics dealt with in the podcast see:

Michal Kravel-Tovi‘s Website: https://english.tau.ac.il/profile/mkravel

About her award winning book “When the State Winks. The Performance of Jewish Conversion in Israel”: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/when-the-state-winks/9780231183253

Michal Kravel Tovi’s conversation with Sonja Zekri “After October 7” in Berlin, December 11, 2023: https://www.wiko-berlin.de/wikothek/multimedia/after-october-7