The Center for Jewish History is pleased to announce the creation of its new Jewish Public History Forum.  The Forum, as it will be known, seeks to bring new and diverse audiences to the Center by sponsoring major public symposia on historical topics of contemporary relevance.  Starting in the Spring of 2023, the Forum will host two to three symposia per year that convene some of the world’s leading scholars to discuss topics of global Jewish concern.  The Forum’s upcoming symposia include:

“Zionism and American Jews: Bringing Us Together and Pulling Us Apart,” will be held on April 30, 2023 to mark Israel’s 75th anniversary in partnership with the National Library of Israel.

“Fighting Fascism: Jewish Responses from the Interwar Period to the Present” (October 15, 2023 in partnership with the American Jewish Historical Society) marks the 90th anniversary of the Nazi seizure of power in Germany by exploring how Jews in Europe and the United States responded to fascism from the 1920s to the present.

“Addressing Antisemitism: Past and Present” (January 2024) marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day in partnership with Indiana University’s renowned Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism.

“‘Yearning to Breathe Free’: Reconsidering Jewish Migration to the United States” (spring 2024), will mark the 100th anniversary of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act of 1924 by chronicling a century of Jewish engagement with immigration at the national and international level.

“Jews and Democracy” (fall 2024) will examine Jewish views on democracy, from the biblical period to the present, concentrating on how Jews in Europe, the U. S., and Israel have engaged with democratic principles in the modern world.

In presenting these and other topics, the Forum seeks to be a “big tent” that gathers scholars representing different social, political, and cultural perspectives in conversation.  The Forum is committed to sustaining the Center for Jewish History’s reputation for academic excellence and integrity while bringing scholarly insights to the broader public.

The Forum also encourages the Center’s five partners – the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, the Yeshiva University Museum, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research -- to work together in conceptualizing, developing, and coordinating projects of collective interest.  By fostering intra-organizational work, the Forum will help the Center realize its original vision to be a collaborative institution for Jewish historical research and education.