Menahem Blondheim explores human communications from a variety of perspectives: Historical and technological, institutional and religious. His studies employ a variety of research methods, spanning close reading of ancient texts and data analysis of large digital corpora. Most generally, his work proposes new ways of linking the social sciences and the humanities, the past and the present, academia and the real world.

He received his BA degree from the Hebrew University, was a founding fellow of the Hartman Institute, and received his MA and PhD degrees from Harvard University. He won fellowships and grants from, among others, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Israel Science Foundation. He was visiting professor and scholar at Columbia University, New York University, The University of Pennsylvania, Ca Foscari in Venice and Sapienza and LUMSA in Rome.

A former entrepreneur and executive in the communication technology sector of Israel’s high-tech industry and consultant to international corporations, he served in a series of administrative positions at the Hebrew University. They include heading its department of Communication and Journalism (currently ranked 15th in the world), the Smart Family Institute of Communications, HU’s Center for American Studies, and undergraduate studies at the Rothberg International School. His public activities included, among many others, serving as head of Israel National Library’s Advisory Committee on Digitization, chair of the academic committee of the Spielberg Jewish Film Archives, chair of Sokolov Prize committees, and analyst, commentator and contributor to a bunch of local and international media outlets.