Jacob  Levi

Jacob Levi’s research focuses on questions of language, representation, and translation in 20th century French literature and philosophy, with a focus on Jewish identity in post-war France.

His current book project, Exile, Adventure, and the Book: Judéité in Post-War French Thought, is an intellectual history of 20th century French-Jewish thinkers, specifically philosophers Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, and poet Edmond Jabès. Through their reflections on language and nationality in light of their experiences of exile, anti-Semitism, and the Shoah, the project illuminate the stakes of Jewish affiliation in post-war France through the vector of the “question of the book.” Professor Levi has presented his work at conferences around the United States and Europe, and his research has appeared in English and French in journals including Modern Language Notes.

Professor Levi is also committed to the theory and practice of translation, both as a mode of cultural exchange and as a paradigm for philosophical analysis. He has translated texts by French philosophers including Jean-Luc Nancy, Alain Badiou, and Jacques Derrida, and his translation of Marc Cre?pon’s Murderous Consent was named the non-fiction winner of the 2020 Translation Prize of the French-American Foundation. 

At Connecticut College, Professor Levi teaches courses on French language, culture, and literature. He has previously taught English in secondary schools in France, and courses on literature, philosophy, and Jewish thought at Johns Hopkins University and Goucher College. 

Visit the French department website. 

Majoring in French.