About Me
Pamela Nadell, professor and Patrick Clendenen Chair in women’s and Gender History at American University, is a historian specializing in American Jewish history antisemitism. She authored America’s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today, winner of the 2019 National Jewish Book Award’s “Jewish Book of the Year.” Her new book Antisemitism, An American Tradition will be published on October 14, 2025 (W.W. Norton) and was supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Award.
Nadell also wrote Women Who Would be Rabbis, which was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies, and has consulted for museums, including Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Pittsburgh’s rebuild of the Tree of Life Congregation, and Tel Aviv’s ANU: The Museum of the Jewish People. A past president of the Association for Jewish Studies, she lectures widely and teaches courses on antisemitism, the Holocaust, and American Jewish History. She has testified before Congress three times and was the fourth witness in the congressional hearing with the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and University of Pennsylvania.
Contact Me
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Pages
- Antisemitism Book
- Books
- Antisemitism, an American Tradition
- America’s Jewish Women
- American Jewish Women’s History
- Conservative Judaism in America
- Making Women’s Histories
- New Essays in American Jewish History
- Women and American Judaism
- Women Who Would be Rabbis
- Three Hundred Fifty Years: An Album of American Jewish Memory
- Events
- News
- Videos
- About Me
- Contact Me
Topics
Events
- June 5, 2025 “2 Different Societies, 2 Different Approaches” at the French-American Forum on Antisemitism, Paris, France
- August 3-7, 2025 “America’s Jewish Women” and “Antisemitism, an American Tradition” Guest Speaker at the Everett Jewish Life Center, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY
- September 29, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Pre-Publication Book Launch, Beinner Annual Symposium, Center for Jewish History, New York City
- October 2, 2025 A Yom Kippur Conversation about Antisemitism, an American Tradition at Temple Sinai, Washington, DC
- October 14, 2025 Date of Publication of Antisemitism, an American Tradition – Book Tour to be Announced Soon!
- October 14, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch at Politics and Prose, Washington, DC
- October 16, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch at Barnes & Noble, Philadelphia, PA
- October 19, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch at The Tree of Life, Pittsburgh, PA
- October 20, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch, University of Connecticut/Mandell Jewish Community Center, West Hartford, CT
- October 23, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Virtual Book Launch, American Jewish Committee
- October 29, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Virtual Book Launch, Lappin Foundation, Beverly, MA
- October 30, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA
- November 2, 2025 The Past, Present, and Future of Jewish History, Center for Jewish History, New York City
- November 3, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Event, New York University, New York City
- November 9, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Talk, Mah Tovu Congregation, Chicago, IL
- November 10, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Event, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Past Events
- May 18, 2025 “Columbia and Harvard” Jews and Elite Universities Symposium at Center for Jewish History, New York City
- May 18, 2025 “Understanding Contemporary Antisemitism” Hosted by Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, Evanston, IL – Zoom Conference
- May 4, 2025 “Celebrating Professor Jonathan Sarna’s Scholarship” at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
- April 8, 2025 “Through Women’s Eyes: Antisemitism in America” Hosted by Women’s League for Conservative Judaism – Zoom Conference
- March 30, 2025 “Antisemitism, an American Tradition” Keynote, Contemporary Antisemitism Conference in London, England
News
- Senate Education Panel Hearing to Address ‘Antisemitic Disruptions on Campus’
- Scholars Have Told Important Jewish Stories with the NEH’s Support. What Happens to Them Now?
- Guthrie’s three-act ‘Lehman Trilogy’ charts one immigrant family’s epic rise and catastrophic fall
- Antisemitism Seeing Global Rise
- Pamela Nadell’s History: Professor, Author, Researcher
- Q&A: Antisemitism in America
- How Republicans Echo Antisemitic Tropes Despite Declaring Support for Israel
- Hollywood is Failing Jewish-Americans Despite a History Together – Opinion
- The 4th to Testify: Congressional witness Pamela Nadell on the US Antisemitism Crisis
- New Study Highlights Campus Antisemitism ‘Hot Spots’
- What Jewish College Students Have to Say About the Campus Climate
- A Brief History of Antisemitism in U.S. Higher Education
- The Gaza Crisis is Stoking Antisemitism in the U.S.
- Antisemitism on Elon Musk’s X is Surging and Dredging Up Many Ancient, Defamatory Themes of Blaming Jews
The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.
/in News“Antisemitism and political violence are both part of the same problem,” said Pamela Nadell, a historian and director of the Jewish Studies program at American University, who is quoted in an article in Time. “There are so many moments where legitimate criticism of Israel crosses into antisemitism—opening the path for someone to shoot two people simply because he believes they are Jews.”
A Turning Point for Antisemitism?
/in Newsn her June 2025 Hadassah Magazine article, historian Pamela Nadell reflects on the rising tide of antisemitic violence in the U.S., from the murder of two young professionals outside Washington, D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum to attacks on Jewish homes and demonstrators. These alarming incidents, she asks, may signal a turning point for American Jews.
June 5, 2025 “2 Different Societies, 2 Different Approaches” at the French-American Forum on Antisemitism, Paris, France
/in Past EventsOn June 5, 2025, Pamela S. Nadell will participate in the “On the Front Lines: French-American Forum on Antisemitism” in Paris, sponsored by AJC and CRIF. She will lead a session titled “Two Different Societies, Two Different Approaches? Recognizing and Understanding Antisemitism on the Left and on the Right.”
May 18, 2025 “Columbia and Harvard” Jews and Elite Universities Symposium at Center for Jewish History, New York City
/in Past EventsAs part of the symposium The End of an Era? Jews and Elite Universities on May 18th at the Center for Jewish History, historian Pamela S. Nadell will lead a key session, “Columbia and Harvard: The Exception or the Rule?” Drawing on her expertise in American Jewish history, Nadell will explore how these institutions have shaped Jewish academic life and whether today’s crises reflect new challenges or enduring patterns.
May 18, 2025 “Understanding Contemporary Antisemitism” Hosted by Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, Evanston, IL – Zoom Conference
/in Past EventsIn this upcoming virtual conversation taking place on May 18, 2025, Pamela S. Nadell, Director of the Jewish Studies Program at American University, will join JRC member Daniel Greene to explore the persistence of antisemitism in American society. Drawing from her forthcoming book, Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Professor Nadell will trace the historical roots of antisemitic rhetoric and discrimination, connecting past patterns to the present-day rise in incidents across the country.
May 4, 2025 “Celebrating Professor Jonathan Sarna’s Scholarship” at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
/in Past EventsPamela Nadell will be at Brandeis University on May 4, 2025 for the Celebration of Professor Jonathan Sarna’s Scholarship. Jonathan D. Sarna is University Professor and the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University. Author or editor of more than thirty books on American Jewish history and life, his American Judaism: A History – recently published in a second edition — won six awards including the 2004 “Everett Jewish Book of the Year Award” from the Jewish Book Council.
Senate Education Panel Hearing to Address ‘Antisemitic Disruptions on Campus’
/in NewsIn a recent Jewish News Syndicate article, Pamela S. Nadell addressed the Senate’s hearing on antisemitism in higher education and expressed concern over cuts to the Department of Education. Without adequate resources, she argued, the government cannot meaningfully respond to Title VI complaints or ensure Jewish students’ safety on campus.
Scholars Have Told Important Jewish Stories with the NEH’s Support. What Happens to Them Now?
/in NewsIn her op-ed in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Historian Pamela Nadell, author of Antisemitism, an American Tradition, shares a stark warning: Cuts to the NEH’s Public Scholars program risk silencing essential stories — from 16th-century Jewish life in colonial Mexico to 1930s Hollywood spy rings — that help us confront the rise of antisemitism and understand America’s diverse past.
April 8, 2025 “Through Women’s Eyes: Antisemitism in America” Hosted by Women’s League for Conservative Judaism – Zoom Conference
/in Past EventsPamela Nadell is honored to participate in “Through Women’s Eyes: Antisemitism in America,” a Zoom conference hosted by the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism on April 8, 2025. This important event will explore the challenges of antisemitism in America through a women’s perspective, fostering dialogue and understanding.
March 30, 2025 “Antisemitism, an American Tradition” Keynote, Contemporary Antisemitism Conference in London, England
/in Past EventsThe Contemporary Antisemitism Conference: London 2025, co-hosted by the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism (LCSCA) and the Comper Center, will explore global antisemitism in political, social, and cultural contexts. Keynote speaker Pamela Nadell will discuss her book Antisemitism, an American Tradition, shedding light on its history and persistence in the U.S.