Julia Watts Belser

Julia Watts Belser (she/her) is a scholar, rabbi, activist, and spiritual teacher.  She is an associate professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University and core faculty in Georgetown’s Disability Studies program, where she brings Jewish texts into conversation with queer, disability, and feminist ethics. 

Her most recent scholarly book is Rabbinic Tales of Destruction: Gender, Sex, and Disability in the Ruins of Jerusalem.  A passionate advocate for disability and gender justice, she co-authored the Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities, developed in collaboration with disability activists from 42 countries, to help challenge the root causes of poverty, gender violence, and disability discrimination.  She currently directs a project on disability, climate change, and environmental justice—and she’s also a passionate wheelchair hiker.