For many people, Jewish American history is synonymous with northern cities like New York and Chicago. But the South played an important role, especially in the early 1800s.
Articles on American Jews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 56 articles
Zionism’s definition may seem simple, but it’s been debated for more than a century. In reality, there are multiple ‘Zionisms,’ not just one.
Many Americans associate Yiddish strictly with Eastern Europe. But its horizons are much broader than that, especially amid today’s revival.
To understand what religion looks like in 21st-century America, researchers may need to ask different questions.
His achievements as a philanthropist are not widely known today because he did not create a grantmaking foundation that outlasted him.
New York City played a starring role in the golden age of comics. And like Kirby, many of the genre’s most famous artists were Jewish.
Students respond to history that feels local and personal. There are ways to do that even as Holocaust survivors pass away, one professor writes.
What do you do on Dec. 25 if you don’t celebrate Christmas? For Jewish Americans, the answers range from takeout to filling a shift for Christian colleagues.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war, some Jewish students have been vocal about support for Israel or for Palestinians. But many more have views that don’t fit into ‘either/or’ categories.
The Trump administration’s crusade against antisemitism looks to be mainly about crippling elite universities and blurring the lines between pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism.
Philadelphia was the birthplace of Bread and Freedom, a weekly anarchist paper published by Jewish immigrants who felt their peers in New York were too moderate.
Jewish American artists were at the heart of the comics industry – and a closer read of beloved characters reflects fears about assimilation and acceptance.
Despite pressure to cancel Israel performances, Dylan has performed in the country several times. Ever an enigma, he rarely explains his decisions − or views on religion.
‘Gentleman’s Agreement,’ a novel by Laura Z. Hobson, was considered groundbreaking for its depiction of everyday prejudice.
Universities have an important role in Jewish American history – highlighting both deep-seated prejudice toward Jews and Jewish students’ paths toward acceptance and assimilation.
Claims about Columbus being Sephardic have bubbled up for decades. Early in the 20th century, some immigrant groups hoped proving ties to him would improve their own social standing.
The soldiers and patriots who made the American Revolution a success included people whose faiths faced discrimination, including Jews and Catholics.
Ninety years ago, Greenberg had a momentous decision to make: Should he play baseball on Yom Kippur?
Nice Jewish men wanting to date non-Jewish women has been a trope of US stage and screen for 100 years.
The first Jewish summer camps were founded at the turn of the 20th century and have become cherished traditions. But many face tough questions about how to discuss Israel and antisemitism.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies & Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
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University Professor and Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University
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Associate Professor of Jewish Education Research, Brandeis University
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Managing Director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, University of Michigan
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Professor, Michigan State University
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Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Professor of Israel Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
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Professor and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's & Gender History and Director of the Jewish Studies Program, American University
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Visiting Scholar of Philanthropy, Indiana University
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Professor of Sociology, President and Vice-Chancellor, York University, Canada
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SD Clark Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto
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Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Penn State
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Professor, University of Washington
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Professor of Comparative and World Literature, Director, Program in Jewish Culture and Society, Director, Initiative in Holocaust, Genocide, Memory Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Professor of Social Work and Judaic Studies, University of Michigan
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Lecturer, Brandeis University