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 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
October 19, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch at The Tree of Life, Pittsburgh, PA
/in EventsOctober 19, 2025. The New York Times columnist Bret Stephens joins Pamela Nadell at The Tree of Life for the Pittsburgh book launch of Antisemitism, an American Tradition =. Tracing the long history of antisemitism in American history, Nadell shows the roots of the hatred that shattered Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and their neighbors.
Guthrie’s three-act ‘Lehman Trilogy’ charts one immigrant family’s epic rise and catastrophic fall
/in NewsThe Guthrie Theater’s production of “The Lehman Trilogy” is a three-act play that chronicles the rise and fall of the Lehman Brothers financial empire. Adapted by Ben Power from Stefano Massini’s original work, the play spans 170 years and is performed by three actors who portray over 50 characters. It begins with the arrival of the Lehman brothers from Bavaria in the 19th century and follows their journey from a small fabric business in Alabama to becoming a powerful international finance firm, culminating in the firm’s collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. The production delves into themes of the American dream, capitalism, and the personal costs of success.
October 20, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch, University of Connecticut/Mandell Jewish Community Center, West Hartford, CT
/in EventsOctober 20, 2025 at the Mandell Center, West Hartford, CT. 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 23, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Virtual Book Launch, American Jewish Committee
/in EventsOctober 23, 2025, American Jewish Committee AJC Advocacy Anywhere virtual series. 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 28, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Moment Magazine Virtual Conversation
/in EventsI will speak and info and date
October 29, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Virtual Book Launch, Lappin Foundation, Beverly, MA
/in EventsOctober 29, 2025. Antisemitism, an American Tradition Virtual Book Launch sponsored by Lappin Foundation, Beverly, MA. 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.
Antisemitism Seeing Global Rise
/in NewsListen to Pamela Nadell, director of the Jewish Studies Program at American University and an expert on the history of anti-Semitism, speaking with ABC NewsRadio’s Sarah Morice that anti-Semitism is on the rise not only in Australia but globally.
October 30, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Launch, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA
/in EventsOctober 30, 2025, Antisemitism, an American Tradition. Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA at 7:00 pm. 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.
November 2, 2025 The Past, Present, and Future of Jewish History, Center for Jewish History, New York City
/in EventsNovember 2, 2025. The Center for Jewish History marks its 25th anniversary with a day-long symposium “The Past, Present, and Future of Jewish History.” I appear on the panel “How significant is antisemitism in Jewish history?” moderated by New York University Professor Avinoam Patt.
November 3, 2025 Antisemitism, an American Tradition Book Event, New York University, New York City
/in EventsNovember 3, 2025. Antisemitism, an American Tradition book event at New York 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.
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.