Keren Fraiman

Keren E. Fraiman is Spertus Institute’s Dean and Chief Academic Officer. She also holds a faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Israel Studies. Her research focuses on Israel and conflict education, addressing the complexities associated with teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Jewish educational settings. She previously served as Director of Research and Evaluation at The iCenter, where she continues to serve on the faculty of the iFellows Masters Concentration in Israel Education program and the Certificate in Experiential Israel Education.

In January 2020, Dr. Fraiman was selected for the prestigious Wexner Field Fellowship, presented by the Wexner Foundation in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation.

She received her PhD in International Relations and Security Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her BA in Political Science and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from The University of Chicago. Her work has been supported by the US Institute of Peace, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism, and the Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism.

A former Schusterman Israel Scholar, Dr. Fraiman has worked at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis, served as an officer in the IDF, and led trips to Israel as a facilitator both for Encounter and Birthright Israel.