Scienceאיתמר אבן-זהר

Itamar Even-Zohar

Itamar Even-Zohar is an Israeli culture researcher and professor at Tel Aviv University, known for developing polysystem theory and the theory of cultural repertoires.

born 1939Polysystem theoryTheory of cultural repertoiresTranslation studies researchFounding the Porter School

Born: 23 March 1939, Tel Aviv
Occupation: linguist, Esperantist, sociologist, university teacher
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University

Itamar Even-Zohar was born in 1939 in Tel Aviv

Itamar Even-Zohar was born in Tel Aviv in 1939 to Simcha and Rivka, in a family of 3 children. Hebrew is his mother tongue, and he also knows Arabic, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic and many other languages.

After serving in the IDF from 1959 to 1961, he studied Hebrew language and philosophy at Tel Aviv University. He earned a master's degree in comparative literature at the Hebrew University in 1967 and studied in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. He received his doctorate from Tel Aviv University in 1972.

He began teaching literary theory at Tel Aviv University in 1972 and became a full professor in 1977. He held several chairs, founded the Porter School of Cultural Studies in 1986 and led it until 1993. He edited the journals Ha-Sifrut and Poetics Today and translated Scandinavian and Finnish works into Hebrew.

His work moved from literary systems to culture as a set of models for action, including the building of Hebrew culture in Palestine. Since 1993 he has done field research in Galicia, Catalonia, Iceland, Quebec and Newfoundland.

He became professor emeritus in 2007 and still volunteers as a teacher at Tel Aviv University. In 2014 he was elected an honorary member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.