Scholar Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar connects Orthodox Judaism and Amish communities

Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar, an Orthodox Jewish scholar based in Jerusalem, has spent over a decade conducting comparative research between Israel’s Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community and Old Order Amish communities in the United States.

Initially arriving in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 2011 to study Amish communities under a Fulbright Grant, Neriya-Ben Shahar overcame language barriers and funding challenges to build deep connections with the community. Her academic work, which spans media, sociology, and anthropology, led to the 2024 publication of ‘Strictly Observant,’ a comparative study of the two groups.

Neriya-Ben Shahar is currently researching her second book focused on Amish women. Having visited the community more than 100 times, she describes the women she has lived with as extended family.