A Medium for the Masses: The Yiddish Press and the Shaping of American Jewish Culture

Symposium Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish History, with support from the Center for Jewish Studies at Fordham University, the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University, The Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, and the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford  In Person: Admission: $18 YIVO members, CJH members & students: $12 Zoom Livestream: Admission: Free Registration is required. Watch the video

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The Yiddish press in America flourished during the early 20th century, showcasing the diversity of the American Jewish community. Fueled by immigrants from Eastern Europe, the American Yiddish press catered to Yiddish-speaking Jews of all backgrounds, levels of religious observance, and political beliefs. Newsstands displayed a wide variety of publications from the Yiddish press: anarchist, religious, Zionist, satirical, and everything in between.

This symposium will look back on more than 150 years of the Yiddish press in the United States, examining its role as a vehicle of acculturation, a forum for political and ideological debates, and a seedbed for the growth of a mass culture among Jews worldwide.

Scholars will include Ayelet Brinn, Matthew Brittingham, Eric Goldstein, Ellen Kellman, Tony Michels, William Pimlott, Eddy Portnoy, Gil Ribak, Rachel Rojanksi, Daniel Soyer, Ri Turner, Nina Warnke, and Saul Noam Zaritt.

Buy A Revolution in Type: Gender and the Making of the American Yiddish Press.

This program is part of the Center for Jewish History's Jewish Public History Forum.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

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A Revolution in Type: Gender and the Making of the American Yiddish Press
Sunday, January 14, 2024 | 5:00pm ET