Dr. Derek Jonathan Penslar, (born 1958) is an American-Canadian comparative historian with interests in the relationship between modern Israel and diaspora Jewish societies, global nationalist movements, European colonialism, and post-colonial states. Penslar serves as director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University. In 2024, Penslar was appointed co-chair Harvard's task force on Combating Antisemitism. Critics objected due to his 2023 signature of an open letter against Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to suppress judicial authority in Israel. Penslar's recent books include Zionism: An Emotional State (2023) and Unacknowledged Kinships: Postcolonial Studies and the Historiography of Zionism (co-edited, 2023).