Primary Theme: American Jewish History
America’s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today
What does it mean to be a Jewish woman in America? Dr. Pamela S. Nadell explores her groundbreaking history of how Jewish women maintained their identity and influenced social activism as they wrote themselves into American history. Dr. Nadell’s book won the National Jewish Book Award–Everett Family Foundation Jewish Book of the Year.
Shabbat Shuvah Guest Speaker Michael Cohen at Touro Synagogue
This year’s Shabbat Shuvah guest speaker was Dr. Michael Cohen, the Stuart and Suzanne Grant Professor in the American Jewish Experience at Tulane University, and the Director of Tulane’s Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience. On September 25, 2024, Mike convened a group of leading journalists and historians in New York City to address the current moment in time for Jewish Americans. The Beinner Symposium’s goal was to explore how this moment fits into the larger arc of American Jewish history, and Mike talked about some of his observations from the discussions. He shared with us a series of questions that emerged which may help us to make sense of this moment, touching upon events on college campuses, the past and future of progressive alliances, the ways in which antisemitism plays out in an era of polarization, as well as the utility of definitions.
A Unique Moment for Jewish Americans? – Beinner Annual Symposium
The annual Beinner Symposium brings together world-renowned scholars from a variety of disciplines – from history to literature, to economics, to sociology and more – to foster innovative collaborations that open new directions for the study of the American Jewish experience.
CULTURE & HERITAGE SERIES – The Jewish Deli: Lecture by Ted Merwin – Author of Pastrami on Rye
For much of the 20th century, the corner Jewish deli was an iconic institution in both Jewish and American life—a kind of homeland for the soul, with pickles on the side. As a social space it rivaled the synagogue as the primary gathering place for the Jewish community. At the same time the deli became an icon in popular culture, featured in a plethora of plays, films, TV shows, songs and stand-up routines.
A Cross-Continental Conversation: Dr. Ilana Horwitz and Dr. David Slucki Discuss Jewish Socioeconomic Diversity
The conversation touches on the role of Jewish institutions in providing social capital and how changes in religious engagement in the U.S. affect these dynamics.
Ballots, Babies, & Banners of Peace
“Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace – Rottman Family Lecture Series with Dr. Melissa Klapper
This talk with Dr. Melissa Klapper will explore the social and political activism of American Jewish women from the 1890s through World War II, focusing on three mass women’s movements of the day: suffrage, birth control, and peace. No history of first wave feminism is complete without understanding the outsize impact of Jewish women on these movements and the powerful effect of their activism on contemporary American life.”
Field Update: Studies on Jewish American Art
When I set out to write this essay, the first thing I did was check for recent dissertations on Jewish American art. I was surprised by what I found—or didn’t find. A keyword search for “Jewish American art” yielded only a handful of results. I had expected to find studies that treat Jewishness as part of a multifaceted picture of American art or of an artist’s oeuvre. But art history departments were producing very few indeed.
Yiddish Studies
At the annual Association for Jewish Studies (AJS) meeting this December, there was a notable refrain: “Yiddish is everywhere!” Over three days, more than forty panels, roundtables, and seminars featured at least one—and often more than one—presentation that substantially engaged with Yiddish-language materials. The topics ranged across fields, including history, literature, musicology
Southern Jewish Historical Society Conference – Louisville, KY
The Southern Jewish Historical Society will hold its 48th annual conference on November 1-3, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky, hosted by the Filson Historical Society with sponsorship from the Jewish Heritage Fund.
