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Steve Kaplan

Steven Kaplan is an Israeli-American scholar of Ethiopian studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, known for his research on the Beta Israel community.

born 1953Research on the Beta IsraelEthiopian religious historyDean of Hebrew University Humanities

Born: 5 October 1953, New York City
Occupation: anthropologist, Judaic scholar, religious studies scholar, university teacher

Steve Kaplan was born in 1953 in New York City

Steven Kaplan was born on October 5, 1953, in New York. His mother's uncle was Salo Baron, a professor of history and Jewish studies.

He studied Judaic and Middle Eastern studies at Brandeis University and earned a B.A. and an M.A. in 1975. He received a master's degree in comparative religion from Harvard Divinity School in 1977. He completed his Ph.D. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1982.

He began teaching at the Hebrew University in 1984 and became a professor of African studies and comparative religion. He chaired the Department of African Studies from 1990 to 2002 and was dean of the Faculty of Humanities from 2004 to 2006. He also headed the Rothberg International School and the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace.

His research covers the religious and social history of Ethiopia and the Beta Israel community, including its integration into Israeli society. In 1992 he published a book on the history of the Beta Israel in Ethiopia. He advised Knesset committees and the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, and served as an editor of the Encyclopaedia Aethiopica.

Kaplan is married and has three children.