Free Online Event

Declarations of Americanism: Jewish-American Displays of National Identity

Thursday, April 16, 4-5 p.m. Eastern Time

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, questions of national identity and democratic commitment are top of mind. Jewish Americans have long grappled with these topics, navigating assimilation while encountering suspicions of dual loyalties. With the dramatic rise of immigration in the late 19th century, Jewish immigrant communities encountered heightened pressures and possibilities to exhibit American identity. In this talk, JHC Historian in Residence Madeline DeDe-Panken considers why Jews leaned into American iconography throughout the 19th and early 20th century and how such displays shaped Jewish life in America.

Madeline DeDe-Panken is a historian with broad interests in culture, gender and public knowledge. Her current research explores the rise of popular mycology at the turn of the twentieth century, focusing on women's roles in scientific and culinary foraging. Madeline has multifaceted experience in museums and non-profits, having held fellowships at institutions including the Schlesinger Library, Massachusetts Historical Society, and the Center for Women’s History at the New-York Historical Society. She holds a BA and Masters in History from Clark University and is completing her PhD at The Graduate Center, CUNY.