Program Description:
Antisemitism has confronted American Jewry since the first landing of Jews in New Amsterdam (today’s NYC) in 1654 when Governor Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. Over time, negative European stereotypes took root in American soil and resulted in restrictions on holding public office, in employment in professions, admissions to schools and clubs, access to housing and more, while synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. As we are witnessing today, this prejudice and hatred continue to plague our country and affect the lives of Jews. Our speaker is a leading scholar of antisemitism and the Jewish response over the last four centuries.

Speaker’s Bio:
Pamela Nadell is a Professor of History, Director of Jewish Studies and holder of the Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History at American University in Washington D.C. She is a past president of the national Association for Jewish Studies and the author of an important new book, Antisemitism, an American Tradition (2025, W.W. Norton). Her earlier book on America’s Jewish Women won the 2019 Book of the Year award from the National Jewish Book Council. Prof. Nadell has testified before the U.S. Congress on antisemitism three times since 2017.