PhD Student Sociocultural Anthropology
He/Him/His
Matriculated September 2024
Research Interests
Family, Aging, Care, Morality, Political changes, National Identity, Emotions/Affect, Neoliberalism, Health and Wellbeing, Gender, Queer theory, Medical Anthropology, Psychological Anthropology, Political Anthropology, Israel/Palestine, Germany.
About
Ofir is intrigued by the ways in which socio-political changes influence people’s emotional and moral positions toward the taken-for-granted elements of their own personal life, and is particularly curious about moments of individual or collective self-reflection, decision-making and ambivalence.
In his master’s thesis project, based on ethnographic fieldwork in an assisted living residence for elders, Ofir explored how upper-middle-class Jewish Israeli elders experience national crises. His dissertation focused on elders’ complex relationship with the nation-state and the uncertain future – of themselves, their descendants, and the state. The dissertation also explores how socioeconomically privileged elders navigate their pursuit of well-being amid a socio-political collapse that threatens to undermine that very aspiration.
In his doctoral studies, Ofir plans to study the lives of Israeli migrants in Berlin, Germany. He is currently interested in exploring how changes in the political climate, both in Israel and in Germany, influence family dynamics and personal trajectories of Israelis living in Berlin.
Prior to joining Boston University, Ofir completed his B.A. (2021) and M.A. (2024) in the department of sociology and anthropology at Tel Aviv University, where he also worked as a TF.
Awards & Grants
- The SPA / Robert Lemelson Foundation Fellowship – Summer research grant (2025)
- Boston University Dean’s Fellowship (2024, 2025)
Publications
- forthcoming