Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Dr. Benjamin Steiner Discusses His Passion for Teaching

Anne Levia ’24 MA ’25

Contributing Writer

Dr. Benjamin Steiner has spent the past few years bringing Jewish history, gender studies and religious traditions to life in Trinity College classrooms. A visiting assistant professor of religious studies since 2021, he has captivated students with thought-provoking discussions on Jewish identity, culture and law. Beyond the lecture hall, Dr. Steiner is a dedicated scholar exploring the past’s influence on the present. I had the honor of interviewing him about his work, teaching at Trinity and future plans. 

Dr. Steiner’s impact has been recognized with a nomination for Trinity’s 2023-2024 Arthur H. Hughes Award for Excellence in Teaching. His ability to challenge students to think critically, question assumptions and connect history to the modern world has made a lasting impression. 

Dr. Steiner earned his Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University in 2020, after an M.A. in Jewish Women’s and Gender Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary (2014) and a B.A. in history from University of California, Los Angeles (2012). His forthcoming book, “Translating the Ketubah: The Jewish Marriage Contract in America and England,” builds on his dissertation research, examining how historical ketubot have shaped Jewish women’s economic rights, influenced non-Jewish perceptions of Judaism and reflected shifting gender expectations. Set for release on June 15, the book explores law, religion and society, arguing that “no other document in the Jewish tradition offers so much historical data in such a short space as the Jewish marriage contract.” He also highlights the ketubah’s underrepresentation in academic scholarship. 

Dr. Steiner’s work has been featured in peer-reviewed journals, including “Postscript on the Charleston Shtar Halitzah,” “The Lieberman Clause Revisited,” “Victorian Jewry,” “Religious Reform and the Ketubah of the British Chief Rabbinate” and “That Judaism Might Yet Live: Pastoral Care and the Making of the Post-Holocaust Conservative Rabbinate.” These projects have inspired his next book, which will explore how different groups in American Judaism define themselves in relation to one another. At Trinity, Dr. Steiner has been highly regarded as an engaging and thoughtful educator, teaching courses in the Jewish Studies department such as “Jews in America,” “Jewish Feminism in America” and “Jewish Spirituality and Mysticism.” His teaching philosophy centers on intellectual curiosity and passion for the subject. “If you teach the right way, any subject can interest students… If you stimulate their intellect and convey material with love and enthusiasm, it creates a rich classroom environment… My students came to love my classes and it’s something that gratifies me.” He adds, “Teaching gives me energy. I could teach four or five classes in a day, and even if I come in exhausted, being in the classroom brings me alive.” 

As his time at Trinity nears its conclusion, Dr. Steiner looks forward to the next chapter of his academic career. While he hopes to continue teaching, he is also considering new ways to expand his scholarship. “I’m sad to be leaving but proud of what I’ve accomplished,” he reflects. Had he stayed, he would have loved to teach a course on Jewish identity — examining what it means to call oneself Jewish in different contexts — or a class on Jewish responses to catastrophe. For students considering a religious studies course, he offers simple advice: “Find ideas that fascinate you.”