Maia Zelkha
Adjunct Fellow

Maia Zelkha is an Iraqi-Jewish writer and the editor-in-chief of Yad Mizrah, the first literary magazine devoted to promoting Mizrahi and Sephardic creative work. Her writing and research largely focus on the intersections of identity, Diaspora and historical narrative as well as cultural theory. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including the anthology Young Zionist Voices—featured on President Herzog’s official list of recommendations for books on Judaism—and Brill’s Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World (EJIW) for which she is a contributor. She holds an M.A. in Security and Diplomacy from Tel Aviv University. 

Her forthcoming book, Muhammad’s Jewish Wife: The Tumultuous Journey of Safiyyah bint Huyayy and the Jews of Arabia (Wicked Son, 2026) explores the intersection of Jewish and Islamic civilization in the 7th century, and its enduring impact on Jewish-Muslim relations today. Alongside her editorial and published work, she shares essays and journalism on her Substack, investigating stories within and beyond the Jewish world.