Yoram Bilu
Yoram Bilu is a professor emeritus of anthropology and psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research interests include the anthropology of religion, psychological anthropology, and the cultural study of contemporary Israeli society. Bilu has focused extensively on the interplay between religion and mental health, the sanctification of space in Israel, and the veneration of saints in Jewish Moroccan communities.
Throughout his career, Bilu has contributed significantly to the understanding of Moroccan Jewish culture and its manifestations in Israel. His studies on the cult of saints and pilgrimage in Jewish Moroccan communities have shed light on the syncretic nature of religious practices and the ongoing dialogue between tradition and modernity in immigrant societies. His work has been pivotal in highlighting how rituals and beliefs travel and transform in new cultural contexts.
Bilu has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Bahat Award for outstanding academic books in the humanities in Israel. He has published extensively in both Hebrew and English, contributing to the broader discourse on folklore, anthropology, and Jewish studies. His insights into the dynamics of memory, tradition, and identity continue to influence scholars in multiple fields.