State of American Jewry Inaugural Address

We are excited to share several of our fall programs that celebrate the rich heritage and culture of the American Jewish community. From engaging lectures, concerts, and interactive events, this season promises to be a time of inspiration, learning, and unity for visitors of all backgrounds. Stay tuned for more details events this season at the Museum. <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>SEPTEMBER</strong></h3> <strong>Thursday, September 12 | </strong><a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/state-of-american-jewry-mijal-biton/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=fall2024lineup">State of American Jewry with Dr. Mijal Bitton</a> <em>Live at The Weitzman &amp; Livestream </em><strong>Dr. Bitton</strong> delivers the inaugural State of American Jewry address, exploring rising antisemitism and cultural sustainability to the relationship between American and Israeli Jews. <strong>Tuesday, September 17 | </strong><a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/britt-tevis-nei-2024/">NEI SERIES Redefining Antisemitism in the United States: A Historical Approach with Britt Tevis, J.D./Ph.D.</a> <em>Livestream </em>This lecture redefines antisemitism by exploring its historical manifestations in America, challenging oversimplified views and narrow focuses on conspiracy theories and discussions on Israel. Lecture series and educator professional development details at <a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/">TheWeitzman.org/NEI</a>. <strong>Thursday, September 19 - Sunday, September 22 | </strong><a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/digital-chutzpah-2024-pjfms-digital-media-festival/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=fall2024lineup">PJFM Digital Chutzpah 2024!</a> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>*Sunday, September 22 |</strong> <a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/the-nightingale-of-iran/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=fall2024lineup">Behind the Podcast: <em>The Nightingale of Iran</em> | Concert and Conversation</a> <em>Live at The Weitzman &amp; Livestream </em><strong>Galeet and Danielle Dardashti</strong> will discuss their award-winning podcast, followed by a live Monajat concert and a discussion of their grandfather <strong>Younes Dardashti’s</strong> legacy.</p> <em>*This project is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts - Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.*</em> <strong>To Be Announced | ZAHAV Home: Cooking for Friends &amp; Family - Cookbook Launch &amp; Tasting</strong> <em>Live at the Weitzman </em>Learn from the best as Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook share practical advice on stocking your pantry, key cooking techniques, and bringing their acclaimed Zahav flavors to your table at home. <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>OCTOBER</strong></h3> <strong>Sunday, October 20 |</strong> <a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/ghosts-of-a-holy-war/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=fall2024lineup">Echoes of 1929 in a Post-October 7th World | <em>Ghosts of a Holy War </em>Book Release</a> <em>Live at The Weitzman </em>Award-winning journalist <strong>Yardena Schwartz</strong> discusses her new book examining the 1929 Hebron massacre and its critical role in understanding the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict. Moderated by editor-in-chief of the <em>Forward</em>, <strong>Jodi Rudoren</strong>. <strong>Tuesday, October 29 | </strong><a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/jenna-joselit-nei-2024/">NEI SERIES American Jewry’s Response to Israel’s War of Independence with Jenna Weissman Joselit</a> <em>Livestream </em>This lecture examines how American Jews responded emotionally to Israel’s War of Independence, using sound, image, and text to explore modern Jewish history. Lecture series and educator professional development details at <a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/">TheWeitzman.org/NEI</a>. <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>NOVEMBER </strong></h3> <b>November 14-24 | </b>44th PJFM Fall Fest 2024 <em>Live at The Weitzman </em>The Weitzman proudly co-presents Philadelphia Jewish Film &amp; Media's annual Fall Festival, a week-long series celebrating cinematic and digital Jewish storytelling. <strong>November 21 |</strong> <a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/judy-gold/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=fall2024lineup">Comedy Night with Judy Gold</a> <em>Live at The Weitzman </em>Laugh out loud with this award-winning comedian’s sharp wit and stand-up, as seen on HBO, Netflix, and Comedy Central. <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>DECEMBER</strong></h3> <strong>December 1 |</strong> <em>Humans of Judaism</em> Book Release <em>Live at The Weitzman</em> <strong>December 1 |</strong><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Nosh &amp; Shop: Hannukah Makers Market</span> <span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">December 1</span> <span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> </span><em>Live at The Weitzman</em> <strong>December 5 |</strong> <a href="https://theweitzman.org/events/secret-chord-raza/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=fall2024lineup">Secret Chord Concerts Live: <em>RAZA</em></a> <em>Live at The Weitzman</em> <strong>December 25 |</strong> Being ___ at Christmas! Family Day <em>Live at The Weitzman</em><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> <strong> | </strong></span><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Annual Extravaganza</span> of Family Fun for Everyone!

<strong>In Person at the Weitzman and Livestream</strong> <b>5 PM ET Cash Bar | 6 PM ET Program Start</b> <strong>$30 General Admission | $22 Members</strong> <strong>$15 Livestream | $9 Members</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/state-of-american-jewry-with-dr-mijal-biton/e611143/register/new/select-tickets?&amp;c_src=website-weitzman&amp;c_src2=state-of-american-jewry-ip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here (In Person)</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/state-of-american-jewry-with-dr-mijal-biton-livestream/e611128/register/new/select-tickets?&amp;c_src=website-weitzman&amp;c_src2=state-of-american-jewry-ls" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here (Livestream)</a></span></p> The Weitzman is honored to host <strong>Dr. Mijal Bitton</strong> as she delivers the inaugural <strong>State of American Jewry</strong> address, a series that delves into the critical challenges and conversations shaping the American Jewish community today. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Bitton is a leading Jewish thinker whose recognition and respect increased most recently as a result of impassioned speeches over the last year in New York and Washington DC at rallies and protests. In this program, Dr. Bitton will focus on the most pressing issues facing the American Jewish community today such as cultural sustainability, rising antisemitism, the relationship between American Jews with Israeli Jews, and more. This event aims to be both educational and galvanizing, encouraging informed discussion and community engagement. The evening will conclude with an onstage dialogue, fostering deeper communal connections and understanding. All attending in person are encouraged to stay and dialogue with each other outside the Weitzman Museum's theater.</span> <b>More about Dr. Mijal Bitton</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Bitton was born in Argentina and immigrated to the US at the age of 12. She is a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and co-founder of the Downtown Minyan where she holds the title of Rosh Kehilah (communal leader). With a BA from Yeshiva University and a doctorate from New York University, where she conducted an ethnographic study of a Syrian Jewish community, Dr. Bitton is a leading voice in contemporary Sephardic studies in America. She is of Mizrahi background, and immigrated to the United States from Argentina. Selected as one of New York Jewish Week’s ‘36 under 36,’ she continues to shape Jewish thought and leadership. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the most dynamic and influential figures in the American Jewish community today.</span> <b>More about the “State of American Jewry”</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The “State of American Jewry” is a lecture series dedicated to exploring the most pressing issues facing the American Jewish community today. Each event will feature a distinguished guest speaker- an expert in Jewish studies, community leadership, or social activism- who will deliver a compelling address that delves into current challenges and opportunities within the Jewish community, such as rising antisemitism, cultural preservation, political influence, intercommunity relations, etc. Each event in the series seeks to illuminate these complex topics in a manner that is both educational and galvanizing, encouraging informed discussion and community engagement among attendees. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Produced by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, the lecture series alternates between its home location in Philadelphia and other Jewish institutional strongholds across the country. This strategic choice of venues- from academic institutions to cultural centers- aims to engage a broad audience and foster a deeper understanding of Jewish identity within America’s multicultural tapestry. Each event not only provides a platform to address critical issues and celebrate the resilience and dynamism of the Jewish community but also concludes with an onstage dialogue and Q&amp;A session, further enriching the communal conversation and strengthening the collective resolve to address pivotal concerns. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">When held at the National Museum of American Jewish History, the series gains a profound historical context that enriches the discourse and connects attendees more viscerally to the Jewish past and its influence on contemporary life. This prestigious venues serves as both a backdrop and a catalyst for exploration, surrounded by artifacts and exhibits that chronicle centuries of Jewish history in America. Here, participants are invited to reflect, engage, and discuss how legacies of the past hope the realities and possibilities of today’s Jewish community, enhancing their appreciation for the American Jewish experience.</span>

<strong>Tuesday, September 17 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT </strong><strong> Livestream </strong> <strong>$57 NEI 2024 Speaker Series (<a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-sept-17-event-page">includes all remaining sessions</a>)</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/national-educators-institute-2024/e592736/register/new/select-tickets?c_src=website&amp;c_src2=event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register for a Single Lecture</a></span></p> <span class="TextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW20234680 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW20234680 BCX0">Current conversations about antisemitism either </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW20234680 BCX0">fail to</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW20234680 BCX0"> define what precisely it is, simplify the phenomenon by describing it as a conspiracy theory, and/or focus exclusively on discussions of Israel. This talk, by contrast, offers a way to think about antisemitism based on its historical manifestations in the American past.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW20234680 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> </span></span></span> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-sept-17-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FULL SERIES SCHEDULE</a></span></p> <span class="TextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0">Britt P. Tevis, J.D./Ph.D., is the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0">Phyllis Backer Assistant Professor in Jewish Studies in the Department of History at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW229600363 BCX0">Her work focuses on the intersection of Jews and American law with a special emphasis on the study of antisemitism. For more information on her work, please <a href="https://www.britttevis.com/">click here</a> to visit her website.</span></span> <p style="text-align: center;"></p>

<strong>Thursday, September 19th - Sunday, September 22nd</strong> <b>Live at the Weitzman</b> <p style="text-align: center;"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://phillyjfm.org/digital-chutzpah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span class="box-cta__label">Learn More About Digital Chutzpah 2024! Here</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Tickets On Sale Now!</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Digital Chutzpah 2024! </strong>PJFM’s annual Jewish Digital Media Festival, celebrates innovative visual storytelling by directors, designers, content creators, video artists, and more from around the world. This four-day program features interactive media, films, music, and panels around Judaism in the ever-evolving digital world. PJFM provides a space for all storytellers to thrive and present their groundbreaking work.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Opening Night | </strong><strong>Thursday, September 19th from 6 PM - 10 PM</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Presentations, Reception and Musical Guests</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.goelevent.com/pjfm/e/AndTheWinnerIsUnapologeticallyJewishContestFinale" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buy Tickets Here</a></span></p> <img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-7109 aligncenter" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PJFM-Unapologetically-Jewish-INSTAGRAM-10-copy-812x457.jpg" alt="" width="812" height="457" /> <em><strong>And The Winner Is... Unapologetically Jewish Contest Finale </strong></em>After an amazing summer of inspiring and hilariously entertaining posts, <strong>UNAPOLOGETICALLY JEWISH</strong>, PJFM’s first-ever national social media contest, comes to a close on Opening Night of Digital Chutzpah 2024. This past summer, these immensely talented finalists took to their phones to spread Jewish positivity, taking extraordinary leaps to strengthen and foster bonds with Judaism. From comedy to original songs, poetry to Yiddish rhinestoning, intimate conversations with Israeli Jews post-October 7^th and throwbacks to the Jewish singers we all know and admire today, these content creators never failed to entertain, delight, and move us with their creativity. See all SEVEN finalists at this final round of the competition. YOU can participate in “voting” for the finalists too! <strong>All you need to bring is your phone and have any Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and/or YouTube account you manage ready on it.</strong> Come meet the finalists, and with the press of a button, just like/comment on/share any of their content at the event. <p class="fusion-responsive-typography-calculated" data-fontsize="28" data-lineheight="36.400002px"><strong>RUN-OF-SHOW</strong></p> <strong>6 PM</strong>: Meet-and-Greet with Finalists <strong>7 PM</strong>: The Grand Finale – Finalist Presentations <strong>8 PM</strong>: Reception with Musical Guests Mara Jill Herman &amp; Bryan Lesnick <strong>9 PM</strong>: And the Winner Is… <p class="fusion-responsive-typography-calculated" data-fontsize="28" data-lineheight="36.400002px"><strong>UNAPOLOGETICALLY JEWISH Finalists</strong></p> <ul> <li>Dia Morgan Chaimovitz (she/her) – @WarningItsDia</li> <li>William Cohen (he/him) – @Tokin.Jew</li> <li>Elyse (she/her) – @PoetryMission</li> <li>Numoon (Jamey Roberti) (he/him) – @NumoonTalk</li> <li>Sarah (she/her) – @LearnYiddishWords</li> <li>Erez Shek (he/him) – @Jewsical101</li> <li>Odellya Sohnis (she/her) - @upsidedowncrabbucket</li> </ul> <div class="fusion-tribe-container fusion-content-editor"> <div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"> <div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap"> <div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column"> <div class="fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column"> <div class="fusion-text fusion-text-1"> Learn more about the finalists at <strong><a href="https://phillyjfm.org/unapologetically-jewish/">PhillyJFM.org/Unapologetically-Jewish</a></strong>. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sunday, September 22nd | Session One at 1 PM | Session Two at 2:30 PM </strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Each session is approx. 48 minutes</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.goelevent.com/pjfm/e/TriumphOfTheSpirit360inAuschwitzVRExperience" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buy Tickets Here</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-7107 aligncenter" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TOTS-HR-Pic-3-copy-812x457.jpg" alt="" width="812" height="457" /></p> <em><strong>Triumph of the Spirit 360° in Auschwitz VR Experience </strong></em>A virtual reality (VR) tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, using a VR headset. Join an incredible, poignant, electrifying 3D experience in Poland — without leaving your location. Don a VR headset and an experienced tour guide will take you on a 65-minute tour that will leave you feeling closely connected to earlier generations. The tour begins in the vibrant Jewish community of Kraków and then moves on to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Throughout the tour, the spotlight focuses on timeless Jewish heroism. The VR tour provides the closest experience to actually being there. You will be accompanied by Rabbi Yisrael Goldwasser, a leading Holocaust lecturer and researcher. <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Jewish Animated Shorts | Sunday, September 22nd, 11 AM - 12:30 PM</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.goelevent.com/pjfm/e/JewishAnimatedShorts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buy Tickets Here</a></span></p> <img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-7108 aligncenter" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/JEWISH-ANIMATED-SHORTS-copy-812x457.jpg" alt="" width="812" height="457" /> <strong><em>The Waltz </em></strong>Shadows from an interwar Yiddish poem by A. Lutzky waltz at the edge of a modern world as it crumbles under their feet. <em><strong>Challah on the Run</strong></em> During Shabbos dinner in a remote shtetl, a loaf of challah magically comes to life just as a family is about to eat him! <strong><em>Flickering Moments</em></strong> A child forges a meaningful bond amidst the horrors of the Holocaust. <em><strong>Humo</strong></em> Daniel is a boy who travels on a train toward a dark destination: the "smoke house." <em><strong>Swimming with Wings</strong></em> The immigration experience is explored through the eyes of a little Israeli girl learning how to swim with clothes on in the Netherlands. <em><strong>Marice's Bar </strong></em>In 1942 on a train to nowhere, a former drag queen reminisces about a night from her past in one of the first queer bars in Paris. Echoes of customer gossip tell the story of this legendary bar and its mysterious Algerian Jewish owner. <em><strong>How to Survive the Heatwave and Stay Human </strong></em>It’s the hottest day of the year, and Jerusalem is being devoured by a scorching heatwave! In the city center, three roommates live in blissful ignorance under the cool caress of their air conditioner. But when the AC breaks down, one person must venture outside to find a new battery and discover <strong>HOW TO SURVIVE THE HEATWAVE AND STAY HUMAN</strong>. <em><strong>The Record </strong></em>An antique music instrument dealer receives a magical vinyl record from a traveler. Obsessed by this endless record, the antique dealer listens to it again and again, and the memories reemerge. <em><strong> Ariel </strong></em>In the world of the Ottoman Sultans, a poor child from Jerusalem makes an unimaginable desert journey to Cairo and back to save his mother and siblings from a rapacious aristocrat. He has nine days… <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Closing Night | Sunday, September 22nd, 5 pm - 7 PM</strong></p> <em><strong>Behind the Podcast: The Nightingale of Iran | Concert and Conversation</strong></em> Join us for an evening featuring Galeet Dardashti (vocalist/composer) as she, along with her live band, presents “Monajat.” This performance brings to life the nearly lost recordings of her grandfather, Younes Dardashti, the most renowned Jewish singer in Iran’s history. Held near the traditional Selichot service, the concert offers a connection to the spiritual and musical traditions of Persian Jews. Through a mix of traditional and contemporary sounds, and accompanying stunning video art Galeet aims to honor and preserve her grandfather’s legacy. The program will continue with a multimedia presentation from Galeet and <b>Danielle Dardashti</b> (storyteller/documentarian) focused on their award-winning audio documentary, <b><i>The Nightingale of Iran</i></b>. The program will conclude with an on stage discussion where the Dardashti sisters will explore their grandfather’s musical journey and its impact on their family. The discussion will cover the making of the podcast, the historical and personal narratives it presents, and the significance of their grandfather’s music. Audience members will have the opportunity to learn more about Younes Dardashti’s life and the creative process behind the podcast. <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>AI Art Installation | Thursday, September 19th - Sunday, September 22nd</strong></p> <img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-7110 aligncenter" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GENESIS-Pic-9-812x457.jpg" alt="" width="812" height="457" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>10 AM - 7 PM on Thursday and 10 AM - 4 PM Friday - Sunday</strong></p> <strong>GENESIS: SEED 913 </strong>is included with admission to any Digital Chutzpah 2024 event, including general museum admission. A flawless AI code (prompt/input) generates breathtaking virtual realms (output), until a stray seed creates a sentient being with consciousness, challenging its creator and instigating chaos. <strong>GENESIS: SEED 913 </strong>explores the intersection of humanity and technology through a narrative inspired by the Biblical Genesis. The film’s scenes morph seamlessly into each other, creating an infinite loop that enhances the viewer’s experience and reflects the divine orchestration of the universe as a holistic system, where all forms and creatures are vessels born from the same seed, united by a shared essence. “In <strong>GENESIS: SEED 913</strong>, themes of humanity and technology blend to illustrate the duality of existence, where each individual is both a creator and a creation. This film invites viewers to reflect on their role within the universal system, fostering a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness and the impact of our creations. Set in Jerusalem, the film explores themes of creation and destruction, mirroring humanity’s cyclical struggles with conflict and creativity. It parallels today’s global crises, such as war and climate change, while questioning the relationship between divine creation and human craftsmanship. The film highlights the beauty of nature’s transience and draws comparisons with artificial intelligence, where unique outcomes emerge from similar foundations, challenging the creator’s vision.” - Directors Ariel Leon Azeus and Naama Dashevski &nbsp;

<strong>In Person at the Weitzman</strong> <b>4:00 PM ET Cash Bar | 5:00 PM ET Program Starts </b> <strong>$25 GA | $20 Members</strong> <strong>$15 Livestream | $9 Members</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/behind-the-podcast-the-nightingale-of-iran-or-concert-and-conversation/e611022/register/new/select-tickets?&amp;c_src=website-weitzman&amp;c_src2=nightingale-ip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here (In Person)</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/behind-the-podcast-the-nightingale-of-iran-or-concert-and-conversation-livestream/e611043/register/new/select-tickets?&amp;c_src=website-weitzman&amp;c_src2=nightingale-ls" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here (Livestream)</a></span></p> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Join us for an evening featuring Galeet Dardashti (vocalist/composer) as she, along with her live band, presents "Monajat." This performance brings to life the nearly lost recordings of her grandfather, Younes Dardashti, the most renowned Jewish singer in Iran's history. Held near the traditional Selichot service, the concert offers a connection to the spiritual and musical traditions of Persian Jews. Through a mix of traditional and contemporary sounds, and accompanying stunning video art Galeet aims to honor and preserve her grandfather’s legacy.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The program will continue with a multimedia presentation from Galeet and </span><b>Danielle Dardashti</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (storyteller/documentarian) focused on their award-winning audio documentary, </span><b><i>The Nightingale of Iran</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The program will conclude with an on stage discussion where the Dardashti sisters will explore their grandfather’s musical journey and its impact on their family. The discussion will cover the making of the podcast, the historical and personal narratives it presents, and the significance of their grandfather’s music. Audience members will have the opportunity to learn more about Younes Dardashti’s life and the creative process behind the podcast.</span> <b>About Galeet and Danielle Dardashti</b> <b>Dr. Galeet Dardashti</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a musician/composer, anthropologist, and culture creator. She has earned a reputation as a trail-blazing performer, educator, and advocate for Middle Eastern and North African Jewish culture.  Galeet is widely known as leader/founder of the renowned all-woman powerhouse Sephardi/Mizrahi Jewish ensemble, Divahn, and from her nationally acclaimed solo release, The Naming.  In her new award-winning release, Monajat, Galeet remixes samples of her famed Iranian grandfather’s recordings to create an original soundscape. Time Out New York has described her music as “urgent, heartfelt and hypnotic;” The Huffington Post called it “heart-stopping.” As a scholar, Galeet specializes in Mizrahi music, media, and cultural politics.  She has held Assistant Professor positions at NYU and JTS and is currently a Fellow at University of Pennsylvania. She offers scholar/artist-in-residencies, lectures, and workshops on her academic and artistic work throughout North America and beyond.</span> <b>Danielle Dardashti</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a storyteller, documentarian and author. She leads corporate storytelling workshops all over the world, and helps companies tell their stories through impactful films and podcasts. Danielle's clients include companies like Pfizer, Marriott, and Intel.  She is an Emmy award-winning documentarian who has written and produced six TV documentaries for Discovery and other networks. Danielle spent the first decade of her career as an on-air news reporter at TV stations in Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia. She is a Moth storySLAM champion who has been featured on NPR’s Moth Radio Hour.  Danielle and her husband are co-authors of The Jewish Family Fun Book (Jewish Lights publishing) and she is the co-founder and creative director of live storytelling show StoryBOOM. Danielle was a fellow in the Maimonides Fund’s 2022-2023 cohort of The Digital Storytellers Lab (part of the Jewish Writers’ Initiative), where she developed the pilot and trailer for The Nightingale of Iran.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Danielle and Galeet are co-creators and co-executive producers of The Nightingale of Iran. The 6-episode series was released in March 2024 and has already been recognized as Best Podcast of 2024 by The Quill Podcast Awards, as well as Best Society and Culture Podcast of 2024. It was an official selection of the June 2024 Tribeca Festival Creators Market. Danielle &amp; Galeet were also included by the New York Jewish Week as 2024 “36 to Watch” honorees.</span> <b>About "The Nightingale of Iran" Podcast</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Produced by Galeet and Danielle Dardashti, "The Nightingale of Iran" podcast tells the compelling story of their grandfather, Younes Dardashti, and his extraordinary musical journey. The podcast has resonated with listeners globally, offering a poignant exploration of family, music, and identity.</span> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Produced in Partnership with the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies and Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media. </span></i> <em>This project is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts - Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.</em> <img class="aligncenter wp-image-7136" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/F1-Katz_Center_Upenn_logo-812x173.png" alt="" width="450" height="96" /><img class="wp-image-3134 aligncenter" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/thumbnail_pjfm-logo-full-color-rgb-1500px@72ppi-812x849.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="450" /><img class="wp-image-7133 aligncenter" src="https://theweitzman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MAA-45-Logo-RGB-812x444.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="246" />

<strong>In Person at the Weitzman</strong> <b>12:00 PM ET Cash Bar | 1:00 PM ET Program Starts </b> <strong>$22 General Admission | $18 Members</strong> <strong>$15 Livestream | $9 Members</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Registration Opening Soon!</strong></p> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Until the massacre of 1929, Hebron was considered the safest place for Jews in Palestine, a place where Jews and Muslims had lived side by side for centuries. When the Haganah warned the Jewish leaders of Hebron of impending Arab riots, Hebron’s rabbis refused to believe them. When those riots erupted in Jerusalem on August 23, 1929 and spread throughout the country, the Jews of Hebron paid the heaviest price. The massacre that claimed the lives of 67 unarmed Jewish men, women and children changed life in Hebron for both Jews and Arabs forever. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, 95 years on, and one year after the events of October 7 reignited memories of 1929, award-winning journalist and author </span><b>Yardena Schwartz</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will discuss her new book, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ghosts of a Holy War</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with the <em>President of Gratz College</em></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, <strong>Zev Eleff</strong></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In this program, she will explore Jewish life in British Mandate Palestine, the tensions that led to the massacre, and the parallels to our post-October 7 world.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Schwartz’s book was inspired by a family in Memphis, TN, who found a box of letters from the late 1920s in their attic. The letters were written by their late uncle, who moved to Hebron at the age of 22 to study at the most prestigious yeshiva in Palestine. Each week, he sent home long letters that painted a vivid portrait of what Hebron was like before the massacre that took his life. The first half of the book is told through the perspective of this young man and his letters from a serenely peaceful Hebron, which today is anything but. </span> <strong>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</strong> Yardena Schwartz is an award-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated producer. From 2013 to 2023 she was based in Israel, where she reported for dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Economist, New York Review of Books, and Foreign Policy. She has also reported from Morocco, Nepal, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, and the United States.​ Yardena previously worked at NBC News, including stints at The Today Show, Nightly News, and MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports. She graduated with honors from Columbia Journalism School in 2011, earned an Emmy nomination in 2013, and an RNA award for excellence in magazine reporting in 2016. ​ Ghosts of a Holy War is Yardena's first book. <strong>ABOUT THE BOOK</strong> In 1929, in the sacred city of Hebron—then governed by the British Mandate of Palestine—there was no occupation, state of Israel, or settlers. Jews and Muslims lived peacefully near the burial place of Abraham, patriarch of the Jewish and Arab nations, until one Saturday morning when nearly 70 Jewish men, women, and children were slaughtered by their Arab neighbors. The Hebron massacre was a seminal event in the Arab-Israeli conflict, key to understanding its complexities. The echoes of 1929 in Hamas’s massacre of October 7, 2023, illustrate how little has changed—and how much of our perspective must change if peace is ever to come to this tortured land and its people, who are destined to share it. Noted journalist Yardena Schwartz draws on her extensive research and wide-ranging interviews with both sides to tell a timely, eye-opening story. She expertly weaves the war between Israel and Hamas into a historical framework, demonstrating how the conflict today cannot be understood without the context of ground zero of this century-old war, which began long before the occupation, the settlements, or the state of Israel ever existed.

<strong>Tuesday, October 29 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT </strong><strong> Livestream </strong> <strong>$75 NEI 2024 Speaker Series (<a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-oct-29-event-page">includes all sessions</a>)</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/national-educators-institute-2024/e592736/register/new/select-tickets?c_src=website&amp;c_src2=event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here</a></span></p> <span class="TextRun SCXW74545339 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW74545339 BCX0">Drawing on sound, image and text, this presentation explores the variety of ways by which earlier generations of American Jews responded to Israel's War of Independence, all with an eye toward understanding the role of emotion in modern Jewish history.</span></span> <span class="TextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><strong><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0">Jenna Weissman </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW51951218 BCX0">Joselit</span></strong><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0">, the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies &amp; Professor of History, at the George Washington University, is an historian of the modern American Jewish experience, as well as a monthly columnist for </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0">Tablet</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0">. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW51951218 BCX0">She is currently at work on a cultural biography of Mordecai Kaplan for Yale University's "Jewish Lives" series.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW51951218 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> </span> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-oct-29-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FULL SERIES SCHEDULE</a></span></p> <h3></h3> &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"></p>

<strong>In Person at the Weitzman</strong> <strong>Pricing and Program Start Time Coming Soon</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Registration and </strong><strong>More Details Coming </strong><b>Soon</b></em></p> Join us for a night of comedy at the Weitzman with Judy Gold<em><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-extra-large celwidget" data-csa-c-id="gva11l-gfsluo-55c1kx-a8j41b" data-cel-widget="productTitle">.</span></em> <strong>ABOUT JUDY GOLD</strong> <p class="s4"><span class="s5">Judy has had stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO. </span>She was a part of Netflix’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. <span class="s5">She is the author of </span><span class="s6"><strong><a href="https://judygold.com/about/#writer">Yes I Can Say That: When They Come For The Comedians, We Are All In Trouble</a></strong>, </span><span class="s5">a critically acclaimed book about free speech and cancel culture which debuted as the </span><span class="s7">number one comedy release on Amazon and was featured in the New York Times Book Review. Judy is also host of the hit podcast, </span><span class="s8"><strong><a href="https://judygold.com/about/#podcaster">It’s Judy’s Show with Judy Gold</a></strong>.</span></p> Judy’s TV acting credits include, <em><strong>City On A Hill</strong></em> (Cassndra Kassell), FX’s <em><strong>Better Things</strong></em> (Chaya). Showtime’s <em><strong>The First Lady</strong></em> (Elizabeth Read). Judy also guest stars as Sophie in the much-anticipated Apple TV+ drama series <em><strong>Extrapolations</strong></em>. Other guest stars include Hulu’s <em><strong>Life and Beth</strong></em>, and Season 2 of Peacock’s <em><strong>Girls 5 Eva</strong></em>. She has had recurring roles on Comedy Central’s <strong><em>Awkwafina</em></strong>, Netflix’s <em><strong>Friends from College</strong></em> and TBS’ <em><strong>Search Party</strong></em>. Her recent film credits include <em><strong>Love Reconsidered</strong></em> and the upcoming <em><strong>She Came To Me</strong></em>, and <strong><em>Eternal Buzz</em></strong>. <p class="s4"><span class="s5">Judy is one of the main subjects in the Hulu documentary </span><span class="s6"><strong><em>Hysterical</em></strong>. </span><span class="s5">. She has appeared on </span><strong><em><span class="s6">The Late Show with Stephen Colbert </span></em></strong><span class="s5">and </span><span class="s6"><strong><em>The Tonight Show</em></strong>. </span><span class="s5">From 1999-2010</span><span class="s6">, </span><span class="s5">Judy was the host of HBO’s </span><span class="s6"><strong><em>At the Multiplex with Judy Gold</em></strong>. </span><span class="s5">Judy also won two Emmy awards for writing and producing </span><span class="s6"><strong><em>The Rosie O’Donnell Show</em></strong>. She was also a writer on the final season of <em><strong>Better Things</strong></em>.</span></p> <p class="s9"><span class="s5">You can also check out the rest of her website, here at <a href="https://judygold.com">JudyGold.com</a> or follow her on Twitter, Instagram or Tik Tok – @jewdygold.</span></p>

<strong>In Person at the Weitzman</strong> <strong>Program Time and Pricing Coming Soon</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Registration Opening Soon!</strong></p> Join us for the next concert in our ongoing Secret Chord Concert series with RAZA led by Chana Raskin. <strong>ABOUT RAZA</strong> <strong>RAZA</strong> is a musical listening project that explores the feminine voice in old Hasidic melodies. Meaning “secret” or “hidden” in Aramaic, RAZA is an attempt to listen more deeply to sacred, traditional melodies, to ask a question of them, and open up to hear them whisper something new into the world. RAZA explores both the notes and the wisdom surrounding these rich, complex, and uplifting melodies, as passed down for centuries. Led by Chana Raskin and a core group of harmony singers, RAZA’s debut album, <i>KAPELYA</i>, features a choir of 22 women’s voices from diverse backgrounds and a small band of virtuosic instrumentalists. <strong>About the Secret Chord Concerts series</strong> <strong><i><span class="outlook-search-highlight" data-markjs="true">Secret</span> <span class="outlook-search-highlight" data-markjs="true">Chord</span> Concerts</i></strong> are full length musical presentations by the most celebrated Jewish musicians of our time – representing a broad range of styles, heritages, and histories. The concerts are recorded in front of a live audience at the Weitzman Museum in Philadelphia and later released as 15-25 minute episodes available free online. A project of the <strong>Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History</strong>, located on Philadelphia’s historic Independence Mall,<strong><i><span class="outlook-search-highlight" data-markjs="true">Secret</span> <span class="outlook-search-highlight" data-markjs="true">Chord</span> Concerts </i></strong>recognize the vast diversity of America’s Jewish community as well as the numerous contributions they  have made to musical traditions, throughout history and today.<strong> Programs celebrating the histories, cultures, traditions and lives of Jewish People aim to act as an antidote to the current rise in antisemitism.</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>More Details Coming </strong><b>Soon!</b></p>

<strong>Tuesday, December 10 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT</strong><strong> Livestream </strong> <strong>$75 NEI 2024 Speaker Series (<a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-dec-10-event-page">includes all sessions</a>)</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/national-educators-institute-2024/e592736/register/new/select-tickets?c_src=website&amp;c_src2=july29-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here</a></span></p> <span class="TextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW31285137 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW31285137 BCX0">How did American Jewish educators teach young Gen-Xers in the 1970s and 80</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW31285137 BCX0">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW31285137 BCX0"> that activism to free Soviet Jewry was a core Jewish value? What types of knowledge, emotions, commitments, and actions did they foster? What lessons can today's educators draw to inform their work in the 2020s? How should they teach the Soviet Jewry movement, and what resources are available to help?</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW31285137 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> </span></span></span> <span class="TextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0">Shaul Kelner is an Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Vanderbilt University, and author of </span></span><em><span class="TextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0">A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews</span></span></em><span class="TextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW149395054 BCX0"> (NYU Press, 2024).</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW149395054 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> </span> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-dec-10-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FULL SERIES SCHEDULE</a></span></p> &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"></p>

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<strong>Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT </strong><strong> Livestream </strong> <strong>$75 NEI 2024 Speaker Series (<a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-jan-14-event-page">includes all sessions</a>)</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/national-educators-institute-2024/e592736/register/new/select-tickets?c_src=website&amp;c_src2=event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here</a></span></p> <div class="dig-InlineDrawer-frame _drawer-wrapper_lyxv4_1"> <div class="dig-InlineDrawer-frame-body"> <div class="dig-InlineDrawer-frame"> <div class="dig-InlineDrawer-frame-body"> <div class="_centerSection_10wwt_24"> <div id="fvsdk-container" class="_container_rarnp_1 _containerV2_rarnp_25"> <div class="_previewContentWrapper_rarnp_30"> <div class="_previewContentWrapper_1o8j2_13"> <div class="_previewContent_1o8j2_1"> <div class="_app_1ythq_175"><article class="_container_1ythq_138" data-testid="document-container"> <div class="_headerContainer_1gkbm_1"> <div class="_pdfViewport_1ythq_102" data-preview-viewport="true" data-testid="pdf-pages"> <div id="pageContainer1" class="_page_1ythq_98" role="presentation" data-testid="pageContainer1" data-index="0"> In this seminar, historian James Loeffler will discuss how American Jews have historically grappled with free speech and hate speech in modern American life. James Loeffler is the Felix Posen Professor of Jewish History at Johns Hopkins University, and Kogod Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. His writings include two award-winning books <em>Rooted Cosmopolitans: Jews and Human Rights in the Twentieth Century </em>and <em>The Most Musical Nation: Jews and Culture in the Late Russian Empire</em>, and two edited volumes, <em>The Law of Strangers: Jewish Lawyers and International Law in the Twentieth Century </em>and <em>A Jew in the Street: New Views on European Jewish History</em>. He is current writing a book about antisemitism and free speech in postwar America, which grew out of his <em>Atlantic</em> magazine article about his coverage of the trial of the White Supremacist organizers of the 2017 attack on Charlottesville. <div class="_linksLayer_1ythq_40" style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-jan-14-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FULL SERIES SCHEDULE</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> &nbsp;

<strong>Tuesday, February 18 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT </strong><strong> Livestream </strong> <strong>$75 NEI 2024-2025 Speaker Series (<a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-feb-18-event-page">includes all sessions</a>)</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/national-educators-institute-2024/e592736/register/new/select-tickets?c_src=website&amp;c_src2=event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here</a></span></p> <span class="TextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW22240317 BCX0">It may seem in recent years as if America’s Jews are confronting for the </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW22240317 BCX0">first time</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW22240317 BCX0"> hatred and antisemitism</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW22240317 BCX0">.  </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW22240317 BCX0">In fact, since the very first Jews landed in New Amsterdam in 1654, anti-Jewish animosity has been a powerful thread coursing through the American Jewish experience.</span></span></span> <span class="TextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">Professor Pamela Nadell holds the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History at American University</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">.  </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">Her book </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">America’s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0"> won the 2019 National Jewish Book Award’s “Jewish Book of the Year.” A National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Award supports her current book project, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">Antisemitism, an American Tradition</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">. Past president of the Association for Jewish Studies, she was a member of the founding </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW188718543 BCX0">historians</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0"> team of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">.  </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188718543 BCX0">She was the fourth witness in the Congressional hearing with the presidents Harvard, UPenn, and MIT.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW188718543 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> </span> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-feb-18-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FULL SERIES SCHEDULE</a></span></p> &nbsp;

<strong>Tuesday, April 1 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT </strong><strong> Livestream </strong> <strong>$75 NEI 2024 Speaker Series (<a href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-april-1-event-page">includes all sessions</a>)</strong> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://www.classy.org/event/national-educators-institute-2024/e592736/register/new/select-tickets?c_src=website&amp;c_src2=event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register Here</a></span></p> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Delve into the rich diversity of the Jewish people and explore how to forge inclusive spaces for all identities within the community with award- winning culinary historian Michael Twitty. Through historical insights and personal narratives, Twitty emphasizes the importance of embracing and celebrating varied cultural backgrounds. </span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Michael Twitty is an award-winning culinary historian and </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">food</span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">writer</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">,</span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">specializing in African American and Jewish food traditions.</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> He is the author of the acclaimed books </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">, which won the James Beard Foundation Book Award, and </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">. Twitty's work explores the intersections of food, culture, and identity</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">.</span> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="box-cta__label"><a id="home__event-all-cta" class="box-cta box-cta--medium box-cta--inline box-cta--blue box-cta-filled" href="https://theweitzman.org/nei/?utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_campaign=events&amp;utm_content=nei-april-1-event-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FULL SERIES SCHEDULE</a></span></p>