Deborah Kaye

Dr. Deborah Kaye is a cultural historian of Europe and Jewish civilization whose work spans French, Italian, and broader European cultural history. She holds a master’s degree in Jewish history from the University of Michigan and a PhD in European history from the University of Arizona. She is also a Fulbright scholar whose research focused on Jewish communities in Italy.

Her scholarly and teaching expertise centers on European cultural history, Jewish history, and Holocaust studies. Over more than three decades she has developed and taught a wide range of courses exploring European intellectual life, Jewish civilization, and modern cultural movements from the Renaissance to the present. She created the first Holocaust course offered on her campus and has taught Holocaust studies for over thirty years.

Dr. Kaye’s work also engages cultural theory, material culture, and fashion studies, particularly within the contexts of French and Italian cultural history. Throughout her career she has played a significant role in General Education curriculum development across Jewish Studies, European history, and interdisciplinary humanities.