Cultural Anthropologist
At NYU Tel Aviv and The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, I teach anthropology courses to students from around the globe. In my teaching, research, and writing, I use ethnographic observation to consider complex questions.
Author
My books and articles focus on two geographic areas of interest: Cuba and Israel. I write on themes of citizen-state relationships, emotions in cultural context, and address differences between public perception vs. the lived experience.
Educational Leader
I am the Director of Education and Talent Hub at Masa Leadership and Impact Center in Jerusalem. I specialize in curriculum design and professional development emphasizing inclusive, student-centered, and active learning.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
My research and teaching stand at the crossroads of cultural anthropology, Israel Studies, and Jewish Studies.
I create classrooms based on active learning where students find their voices and feel supported enough to take on bold questions.
My new book, Teaching Israel Studies, provides experience-tested and evidence-based strategies and resources for fellow instructors of Israel Studies. It is for anyone seeking to create a learning environment that can hold a variety of viewpoints and in which open dialogue is encouraged.
BOOKS
Teaching Israel Studies
This book presents pedagogical strategies for today’s diverse Israel Studies classrooms. It offers Israel-specific innovations for online teaching, tested methods for organizing global virtual exchanges that uplift marginalized voices in Israel, including Palestinian voices, and an intellectual and political overview of the field. Informed by the author’s experiences in the classroom and principles shared with her by fellow instructors, the book provides a guide to developing an Israel Studies syllabus or integrating Israel Studies units into an existing curriculum.
Cuba in the Shadow of Change
Amelia Weinreb takes readers deep inside the everyday life of middle-class Cubans—arguably the majority of citizens on the island. Un-theorized and under-described, it is a group that is portrayed honestly, accurately, and empathetically.
The political and economic systems of Cuba in the post-Soviet period pose ongoing challenges to ordinary Cubans as they struggle in the waning years of the Castro regime. Weinreb demonstrates that the major reason they have been ignored in the scholarly literature is because remaining obscure is one of their strategies for coping with these challenges.
This timely book reminds us that effective teaching of Israel Studies requires far more than mastering the presentation and the debates about abstract concepts or current politically relevant issues. Weinreb advances how we think, and we should think about teaching Israel whether in a full self-contained course or as part of a broader course where Israel material can provide useful case studies or examples.
TEACHING
I have extensive experience designing and teaching interactive, learner-centered courses in Israel Studies, Jewish Studies, anthropology, and international development, in person and online. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more or if you would like support with course development or syllabus design.
Read more about my teaching philosophy>>
“Dr. Weinreb’s class has been super intriguing and informative. She is certainly the right person to be learning about Jerusalem from. The content is not what is usually covered in ordinary classes, therefore I found it fascinating.” (Contemporary Jerusalem 2022)