Ariella Werden is pursuing her Ph. D. in Religion at Temple. Her interests lie in Jewish and African American religiosity, and expressions of devotion in contemporary American culture. Ariella received her B.A. from Skidmore University in Religion and Art History, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2004. As a new addition to both the Philadelphia area, and the center for Afro-Jewish studies, she looks forward to working with Dr. Gordon, and to contributing to the academic community.