An Ambivalent Welcome: Anti-Judaism in Early America

Professor Pamela Nadell joins our landmark virtual series to explore anti-Judaism in early America on Wednesday, October 21st at 6:00 p.m. ET.

“Gentiles cannot forsake their anti-Jewish prejudice.” In 1791 Rebecca Samuels wrote these words in Virginia. But in other letters she praised America as “the only country in the world for the common man” and admitted that “[a]s for the Gentiles, we have nothing to complain about.” Living in a tiny Jewish community in the new American republic, her words show America’s early Jews holding two truths at the same time. Even as they flourished in the new nation, they understood that their neighbors had not only carried knapsacks across the ocean. They had also carried medieval ideas about nefarious Jews.

Presented by The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and 70 Faces Media as we commemorate 250 years of the Jewish experience in America and explore the profound ways Jewish identity and the American story have shaped one another. Through a series of monthly conversations over the course of this year with the nation's leading historians, we will journey from the arrival of the first colonial settlers to the vibrant, diverse communities of the modern era.

This is an online only event. After registering, you will receive the Zoom link via email to join the discussion on October 21. The event will be recorded and sent out to all registrants 24-48 hours after the event. Please note that by registering you will also begin to receive a weekly events email from our 70 Faces Media brands and you consent to receive emails from the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

Questions can be sent to events@70facesmedia.org.

You can register for the entire series here. The entire package of at least eight events costs only $54, and you'll have access to all prior event recordings.

Register for THIS event by clicking the Buy Tickets button on this page.