In remembrance of Dr. Tally Kritzman-Amir (1979-2022)

May 18, 2022
Dr. Tally Kritzman-Amir Headshot

We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our friend and colleague Dr. Tally Kritzman-Amir, a Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative (RCPI) affiliate and a leading young scholar of refugee studies, immigration, and human rights, after a brave battle with cancer.

Educated at Tel Aviv University School of Law, Tally emerged as one of the leading immigration and asylum law and policy experts in Israel. She served as a Fox International Fellow at Yale University, a Hauser Research scholar at New York University, a Polonsky Fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School's Human Rights Program, a Scholar-in-Residence and an Honorary Research Affiliate at the Hadassah Brandeis Institute, and a Visiting Professor at both Harvard University and Boston University.

Tally was a brilliant scholar and a tireless advocate for equality, justice, and humanity. Her work was creative, thoughtful, pioneering, and wide ranging; and her research challenged conventional distinctions between citizen and refugee, insider and outsider, favored and disfacored. She had deep faith in, and worked hard to realize, the positive role law can play in protecting those who are most vulnerable amongst us. She dedicated herself to promoting the rights and well-being of refugees and asylum seekers in Israel and beyond. She founded the Clinic for Refugee Rights at the Ramat Gan College of Law and Business and worked tirelessly with civil society groups in the United States and Israel to champion the rights of migrants and asylum seekers.

Tally was a superb, caring, and creative teacher who inspired her students to pursue social justice and cultivated their love of learning. Because of her, many will lead lives of purpose, meaning, and impact. We are grateful for, and will continue to be inspired by, the courage, commitment, and dedication that Tally showed each and every day. She was a loving and fiercely loyal friend, wife, mother, daughter, and sister.

We wish comfort, healing, and peace to Tally's family, friends, colleagues, and students, who are grieving her loss. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

May her memory be a blessing.

By Salma Waheedi, RCPI affiliate