Faculty and Staff - Politics and Communication (B.A)

I am a political scientist specializing in political psychology, focusing on terrorism, immigration, and political trust. My research examines the psycho-political consequences of terrorism—both cyber and conventional—on political attitudes and behavior, as well as public perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers. Using quantitative methodologies, I analyze intergroup relations and public opinion in conflict-affected societies.

I earned my B.A. in Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology from Tel Aviv University and an M.A. in Political Science (Political Communication). I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Haifa under the supervision of Prof. Daphna Canetti, exploring the impact of political violence on attitudes toward asylum seekers. My postdoctoral research at Stony Brook University in New York, mentored by Prof. Leonie Huddy, examined the role of emotions in shaping public responses to terrorism and media consumption. During this time, I also taught in the Department of Political Science at Rutgers University in New Jersey. I later conducted postdoctoral work at the University of Haifa, focusing on cybersecurity and digital surveillance. 

I have held academic positions at the University of Haifa, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Reichman University. Before academia, I worked in public affairs, serving as Senior Advisor to Minister Gideon Ezra and later as Deputy Spokesperson for the Municipality of Holon.

Since 2023, I have been a faculty member in the Department of Politics & Communication at Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem.

Contact:

kerensn@jmc.ac.il

Homepage of the Politics & Communication Department

https://kerenlgsnider.wixsite.com/site

An expert in the fields of music and music education, with extensive experience in teaching, educational project management, entrepreneurship, and research. She currently serves as the head of the music department in the Central District of the Ministry of Education, lectures in music education, and teaches music in elementary schools. Dr. Amir’s research focuses on the intersection of music, education, society, and community, with an emphasis on music as a tool for social change. She is an active participant in academic conferences and has published articles on music and educational philosophies.
Dr. Amir holds a Ph.D. in Music from Bar-Ilan University (2024), where she researched the challenges and perceptions of mixed Jewish and Arab musical performance ensembles in Israel. In addition, she holds a Master’s degree (with honors) in Music Education from Levinsky College of Education (2012), and two Bachelor's degrees in Music Education (2007) and Interdisciplinary Composition (2006) from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
Beyond her academic work, Dr. Amir has developed, managed, and led music education projects for various age groups across the country, including educational concert programs and community projects, with a focus on bridging different populations and fostering cooperation between sectors. Among the organizations she has worked with are the Rishon Lezion Symphony Orchestra, the Music Dialogue School at Bar-Ilan University, the "Voca Keva" association, and more.
Dr. Amir aims to continue advancing the field of music and music education in Israel and to promote access to music for all segments of Israeli society.

Dr. Rosenthal's research and teaching deal with how political actors strive to achieve their goals in parliamentary democracies, particularly in the Israeli case. His research mainly examines how political elites (prime ministers, members of parliament, high court judges, and senior officials) use institutional arrangements, rhetoric, and heresthetic(s) to turn their political desires into public policy. Alongside dealing with political elites, Dr. Rosenthal examines how weakened political groups operate in elections based on their social status to achieve their goals. In this context, his research examines the political behavior of Arabs in Israel and the electoral behavior of Mizrahim in Israel. Dr. Rosenthal's research utilizes the rational choice approach (with an emphasis on the realistic and pragmatic use of the principles of the approach) and research methods such as analytical narratives and quantitative research methods. Dr. Rosenthal was a faculty member at the Lauder School at Reichman University visiting lecturer in a program of Israeli colleagues on behalf of the Schusterman Foundation in the Department of Political Science at SUNY Binghamton University in the United States. He was a visiting researcher at the McMillan Center at Yale University. He was the first postdoctoral fellow of the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education in Israel in the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication at the Open University. Dr. Rosenthal studied all his degrees in the Department of Political Science at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of the late Professor Gideon Doron.