Derek Penslar is the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University and a comparative historian with interest in the relationship between modern Israel and diaspora Jewish societies, global nationalist movements, European colonialism, and post-colonial states. From 2012 to 2016, he was the inaugural holder of the Stanley Lewis Chair of Israel Studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. In his current role he also serves as director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Penslar is also the author and co-editor of a dozen books, including “Zionism: An Emotional State” (2023).