Vanessa Ochs

Vanessa Ochs is the Ida and Nathan Kolodiz Director of Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia and associate professor of Religious Studies.

Articles by Vanessa Ochs

My return to sacred space.

What if the central narrative of the Jewish people had been different?

How does one recite these joyful psalms at a moment of peril?

Where is God when we are grieving after the bad things happen?

This week’s Torah reading is a double portion composed of Achrei Mot (“After the Death” ) and Kedoshim (“Holiness”). The ...

If you have had a loved one who died while in hospice care, you may have received the same little ...

What makes ceremonies specifically for women unique?

Looking through the lens of material culture.

They are filled with ethnic and religious objects--and everyday objects imbued with special meaning.

From ritual items to artwork to the contents of a refrigerator, Judaism is evident throughout a Jewish home.