Gadi Sagiv is an Associate Professor at The Open University of Israel, where he currently serves as the Chair of the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies (since 2021), as well as the head of the Digital Humanities and Social Sciences Hub of the Open University of Israel (since 2024). Sagiv's research integrates Jewish Studies and modern Jewish history, focusing on Eastern European Hasidism. Interested in the nexus of religious studies, and social and cultural history, his work examines cultural phenomena that demonstrate strong relationships between spiritual and social spheres, including religious social movements, rituals, and messianism.
His recent book, Jewish Blues: A History of a Color in Judaism (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023), originated from research he began as a postdoctoral fellow at the Martin Buber Society of Fellows, inspired by the vibrant intellectual conversation he had with other fellows. In addition to personal research projects, Sagiv has been involved in several international collaborative projects, supported by various international grants. He was a member of a research group that published Hasidism: A New History (Princeton University Press, 2018), and is currently engaged in digital humanities projects, such as a project of historical digital analysis of Hasidic stories, and a project of social network analysis of inter-dynastic marriages among Hasidic leaders' families.
As a faculty member of the Open University of Israel, Sagiv is committed to facilitating quality academic education for all students, regardless of their geographic, social, or economic backgrounds. This includes mentoring graduate and postdoctoral students from diverse backgrounds.