America's Jewish Women by Pamela S. Nadell

A specialist in American Jewish history and women’s history, she teaches a variety of courses in Jewish civilization. Nadell holds the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's and Gender History and is Director of the Jewish Studies Program. Defined by a strong sense of self, a resolute commitment to making the world a better place, and diverse notions of what being a Jew means, America’s Jewish women left deep imprints on their families, communities and the nation they call home. In this groundbreaking history, we see how they and the scores of women-the wives, mothers, activists, and workers who appear in these pages-maintained their Jewish identities as they wrote themselves into American history. Professor Nadell's talk will focus on her recent book, America's Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times today.Īmerica’s Jewish Women uncovers what it has meant to be a Jewish woman in America by weaving together the stories of remarkable individuals-from the colonial matron Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter, the poet Emma Lazarus, to labor activist Bessie Hillman and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Informed by shared values of America's founding and Jewish identity, these women's lives have left deep footprints in the history of the nation they call home.Featuring Pamela Nadell, the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's and Gender History at American University Nadell recounts how Jewish women have been at the forefront of causes for centuries, fighting for suffrage, trade unions, civil rights, and feminism, and hoisting banners for Jewish rights around the world. The twin threads binding these women together, she argues, are a strong sense of self and a resolute commitment to making the world a better place. Nadell weaves together the stories of a diverse group of extraordinary people-from the colonial-era matriarch Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter, poet Emma Lazarus, to labor organizer Bessie Hillman and the great justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to scores of other activists, workers, wives, and mothers who helped carve out a Jewish American identity. What does it mean to be a Jewish woman in America? In a gripping historical narrative, Pamela S. A groundbreaking history of how Jewish women maintained their identity and influenced social activism as they wrote themselves into American history.

America's Jewish Women by Pamela S. Nadell