May 6 and 13, 2021 Webinars - HUJI American Friends Events HUJI American Friends May 's Events

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 AT 4:00 PM ET

The Presidents, The Press,
and American Jewry

Harold Holzer, Director, Hunter College's Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute
Rabbi Gary Zola, Ph.D., Executive Director, Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives; Moderator

Harold Holzer, one of the nation's greatest Lincoln scholars, has published a wonderful new volume titled The Presidents vs. the Press: The Endless Battle Between the White House and the Media — From the Founding Fathers to Fake News. You will not want to miss this special webinar wherein Mr. Holzer will focus on the fascinating role that Jews have played in the perpetually stormy exchanges that have typified the relationship between the Chief Executive and American Media.

Presented by HUC's Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 AT 6:00 PM

Jews of Color

In Memory of Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D., on His Third Yahrzeit

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Central Synagogue, New York City
Bruce Phillips, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology & Jewish Communal Service,
HUC/Los Angeles
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President; Moderator

Join Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Dr. Bruce Phillips for an informative and enlightening discussion that embraces and celebrates diversity and inclusion among the Jewish People.

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 AT 3:00 PM ET

Intersectional Jewish Identities

Dr. Mijal Bitton, Scholar in Residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President; Moderator

We often speak of American Jews in ways that elide their differences or that assume they are all Ashkenazi or white. But American Jews are characterized by vibrant ethnic and racial diversity that must be understood by those of us working to build inclusive Jewish communities. Through her sociological scholarship on Sephardic Jews in America and her own identity as a Latina immigrant, Dr. Bitton will help us consider what is required to nourish a Jewish American diversity project that is complex, rich, and compelling.

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2021 AT 5:00 PM ET

Race, Civility, and American Democracy

Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Department Chair, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University
Professor, Department of African American Studies, Princeton University
Sasha Baken, Fourth-year Rabbinical Student, HUC/NY
Becky Jaye, Fourth-year Rabbinical Student, HUC/NY
Alexandra Stein, Fourth-year Rabbinical Student, HUC/NY
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President; Moderator

Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., esteemed scholar, author, and cultural and political pundit, engages in a compelling conversation about race in America with HUC students and President Andrew Rehfeld. Join us for this presentation to recontextualize your understanding of racial dynamics in the US from the perspective of Jewish texts.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 AT 5:30 PM ET

Pew 2020 Study of the American Jewish Community: What’s Next?

Sarah Bunin Benor, Ph.D., Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies, HUC/Los Angeles
Alan Cooperman, Director of Religion Research, Pew Research Center
Bruce Phillips, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology & Jewish Communal Service, HUC/Los Angeles
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President; Moderator

Join us for an exclusive, early look at the Pew 2020 study of the American Jewish community with the director of the study and two of the leading scholars of contemporary Jewish life in America. What does this mean for the future of the Reform Movement, synagogues, and the contours of Jewish life? HUC faculty members and experts in the field of social science will explore some of the implications of the new report in this session.

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 AT 7:00 PM ET

Not the Same as White: Latinx Students Talk About Jewish Schooling

Erik Ludwig, Ph.D., Director, Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management,
HUC/Los Angeles
Sasha Dominguez ‘20, Executive Director and Founder of Kol Connection
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President; Moderator

Why does race matter? Explore how colorblindness and perceptions of caring inform the way we think about community. Building on the narratives of Latinx students in Jewish schools, these experts take a bold stance on how intersectionality operates and why we should embrace it.

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 AT 1:30 PM ET

Jews, Whiteness, Power and Privilege

Marc Dollinger, Ph.D., Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair, Social Responsibility,
San Francisco State University
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President; Moderator

Are American Jews white? The question, answered differently by different generations of American Jews, gets at the heart of American Jewish identity. Have Jews remained separate and distinct from the rest of middle-class America or have they assimilated so much that they have become white? Come explore the contentious history and sociology of Jews and racial definition. Journey back through history and discover some (surprising) insights into the debate over Jewish whiteness.

Can't join us live? All sessions will recorded and posted on our online learning archive.
Questions? Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .'; document.write(''); document.write(addy_text34045); document.write('<\/a>'); //-->\n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.