Orit Avishai is a professor of sociology at Fordham University and an ethnographer whose work explores the intersections of law, religion, and American democracy. She earned law degrees from Tel Aviv University and Yale Law School, clerked at the Israeli Supreme Court, and practiced law before transitioning to academia. Her research draws on fieldwork with faith communities, civil society organizations, and legal advocates to examine how Americans understand religious freedom and how competing visions of faith shape public life. Her forthcoming book, Faithful Resistance, investigates how religious communities navigate the boundaries between religion and civic engagement. Her previous book, published by NYU Press, examined how Orthodox Jews negotiate identity and belonging. Avishai also writes for broader audiences, with work featured in outlets such as The Revealer, The Conversation, and The Forward.