Inventing Jewish American Culture

Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. ET, April 28 and May 5, 12, and 19

What did American Jews of the late 19th and early 20th centuries hope for in a Jewish American future? In this course, we’ll explore that question by looking at the years 1880 to 1930, when a remarkably diverse group of Jewish artists imagined and reshaped modern Jewish culture. This group included not only Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants but also Francophone Alsatian Jews, German Jewish revolutionaries, North African heirs to Atlantic diaspora fortunes, Caribbean-born Black Jews, and Sephardic Jews whose family histories reached back to the American Revolution.

In this course, we’ll discover how these figures worked together—and sometimes at cross-purposes—to imagine the possibilities of Jewish life in America. With a focus on women, we’ll read works by Ada Isaacs Mencken (1835–1868), a famous actress of mysterious ancestry who wrote Jewish poetry; Annie Nathan Meyer (1867–1950), a Sephardic Jew from an old American family who founded Barnard College; and Chava Zlotchever (1891–1943), a Yiddish writer who was persecuted and deported by the U.S. government in part for writing a book called Lesbian Love. We’ll also consider accounts of Black Jewish individuals and communities in Yiddish newspapers and in Harlem Renaissance literature.

All readings are in English; no knowledge of Yiddish is required.

All sessions are held live via Zoom. Recordings will be available to all registrants.

Cost
$100 for members; $125 for nonmembers.

Card to Culture
The Yiddish Book Center is pleased to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by extending discounts to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare health plan insurance cardholders. Cardholders may register at a reduced price of $50. Discount applies to cardholders only. For questions, please email access@yiddishbookcenter.org.