The powerful story of antisemitism in America and how it has shaped the lives of Jews for almost four centuries. In 1654, when the first Jews landed in New Amsterdam, Governor Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the US changed little as negative European stereotypes were rooted into American soil. Jews faced restrictions on holding office, admission to schools, and employment in industry. Their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. Recently, white nationalists chanted “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virginia; a gunman killed eleven members at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building; and college students opposing Israel’s war with Gaza have attacked Jewish students on campus whether or not they support Israel. In Antisemitism, an American Tradition, scholar Pamela S. Nadell investigates the depth of this fraught history. She explores how Jews fought antisemitism through the law and by creating organizations to speak for them. Jews would also fight back with their fists and join with allies to stand up to all expressions of hate. This momentous work sounds the alarm on a hatred that continues to plague our country.

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JewishReconstructionistCongregation

May 18, 2025 “Understanding Contemporary Antisemitism” Hosted by Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, Evanston, IL – Zoom Conference

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In 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.

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May 4, 2025 “Celebrating Professor Jonathan Sarna’s Scholarship” at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

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Pamela 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.

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Women's League for conservative Judaism

April 8, 2025 “Through Women’s Eyes: Antisemitism in America” Hosted by Women’s League for Conservative Judaism – Zoom Conference

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Pamela 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.

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LondonCentrefortheStudyofcontemporaryAntism

March 30, 2025 “Antisemitism, an American Tradition” Keynote, Contemporary Antisemitism Conference in London, England

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The 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.

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Capital Jewish Museum logo

December 11, 2025 Antisemitism Past and Present, Capital Jewish Museum, Washington, DC

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December 11, 2025. Antisemitism, an American Tradition, at the Capital Jewish Museum. 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.

Read more