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
- Other Writings
- Media
- 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 with The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer, 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 with Senator Ben Cardin 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
What Jewish College Students Have to Say About the Campus Climate
/in NewsIn The Chronicle of Higher Education, Pamela Nadell, a professor at American University, expressed concern over survey findings that 30 percent of students at colleges with the “highest hostility” reported encountering anti-Israel hostility from faculty members. “That to me is a major concern and actually something that I really think is a place where the university needs to figure out how to step in,” Nadell said.
A Brief History of Antisemitism in U.S. Higher Education
/in NewsA recent Washington Post article traces the deep-rooted history of antisemitism in American higher education from the 18th century to today’s campus tensions. Pamela Nadell, a historian and director of American University’s Jewish Studies Program, explains how Columbia University, like other elite institutions in the 1920s, restricted Jewish admissions to preserve its Protestant-dominated culture. The article highlights how such exclusionary policies shaped university demographics and how antisemitism continues to manifest in academic settings today.
The Gaza Crisis is Stoking Antisemitism in the U.S.
/in NewsAs antisemitic incidents spike across the U.S. in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, experts warn of an alarming rise in hate crimes, online vitriol, and harassment of Jewish students. NBC News reports on this disturbing trend, with historian Pamela Nadell noting that while antisemitism has long been part of American history, the unprecedented scale and intensity of social media-fueled hatred make this moment particularly dangerous.
Antisemitism on Elon Musk’s X is Surging and Dredging Up Many Ancient, Defamatory Themes of Blaming Jews
/in NewsIn her article for The Conversation and Yahoo News, historian Pamela Nadell explores how antisemitism is surging on Elon Musk’s X, where hate speech against Jews is gaining traction. She highlights how attacks on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) echo centuries-old antisemitic narratives.
September 30, 2026, Annual Helen and Daniel Sonenshine Lecture: Sarah Hurwitz and Pamela Nadell, American University, Washington, DC
/in EventsSeptember 30, 2026 Jews met antisemitism on landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the US changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. They faced restrictions on holding office, admission to schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. Recently, white nationalists chanted “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virgina, and a gunman killed eleven members at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. Antisemitic incidents have increased each year.
Antisemitism, an American Tradition explores the depth of this fraught history. The book reveals how Jews battled antisemitism through the law and by creating organizations to speak for them. Jews would also fight back with their fists or join with allies in fighting all types of hate. This momentous work sounds the alarm on a hatred that continues to plague our country.
October 5, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, Michigan State
/in EventsOctober 5, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, Michigan State. Jews met antisemitism on landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the US changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. They faced restrictions on holding office, admission to schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. Recently, white nationalists chanted “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virgina, and a gunman killed eleven members at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. Antisemitic incidents have increased each year.
October 13, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, Towson University
/in EventsOctober 13, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, Towson University. Jews met antisemitism on landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the US changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. They faced restrictions on holding office, admission to schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. Recently, white nationalists chanted “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virgina, and a gunman killed eleven members at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. Antisemitic incidents have increased each year.
October 13, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore
/in EventsOctober 13, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore. Jews met antisemitism on landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the US changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. They faced restrictions on holding office, admission to schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. Recently, white nationalists chanted “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virgina, and a gunman killed eleven members at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. Antisemitic incidents have increased each year.
October 19, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, Yale University
/in EventsOctober 19, 2026 Antisemitism, an American Tradition, Book Talk, Yale University. Jews met antisemitism on landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the US changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. They faced restrictions on holding office, admission to schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. Recently, white nationalists chanted “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virgina, and a gunman killed eleven members at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. Antisemitic incidents have increased each year.
October 21, 2026 70 Faces Media in partnership with UJA Federation of NY on Zoom, An Ambivalent Welcome: Anti-Judaism in Early America
/in Events