Esra completed her BA in Philosophy and English & American Studies at Ruhr-University Bochum. She earned her MA in Philosophy and Literary Studies through a joint degree programme at The University of Sheffield, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, and Universidade Nova de Lisboa. She received her PhD in 2023 from the Free University of Berlin, where her research was supported by the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk and the Ursula-Lachnit-Fixson Stiftung, in collaboration with the Selma Stern Centre for Jewish Studies. Before joining the Alfred Landecker Lecturer Programme, Esra was a postdoctoral fellow at the Martin Buber Society of Fellows at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is the author of Sarah Kofmans literarisches Werk. Frankreichs verdrängte Gedächtnisse (De Gruyter, 2025), the first comprehensive study of philosopher Sarah Kofman's literary work. The book interprets Kofman's literary practices as an opposition to historical revisionism in France.
Esra Akkaya's project explores Turkish-Jewish literatures in Ladino, Turkish and French, focusing on transnational literary practices and cultural exchanges within and beyond Turkey. Through this research, she aims to uncover overlooked aspects of Sephardic history.
The project has two main aims: firstly, to gain a deeper insight into the rich and complex Jewish history of Turkey by analysing a trilingual collection of texts, with a particular focus on Sephardic Jewish history. These sources shed light on important but often forgotten historical episodes and accounts. Secondly, Esra intends to share her research findings with future secondary school teachers, enabling them to pass on this knowledge to younger generations. This educational approach not only broadens students' understanding of Turkish history, but also challenges simplistic narratives and encourages a more nuanced and inclusive perspective.