Pamela Nadell

Pamela Nadell, a historian of American Judaism and professor at American University, dives into the challenges Jews faced in 1930s America amid rising antisemitism. She discusses the precarious balance between community safety and government inaction, highlighting how Jewish gangsters like Meyer Lansky took aggressive stances against Nazi sympathizers. The conversation also touches on modern parallels, community defense initiatives, and the critical importance of standing up against intimidation, drawing lessons from history for today's Jewish communities.

In this engaging discussion, historian Pamela Nadell delves into her impactful book, exploring the long history of antisemitism in America. She traces early colonial anti-Jewish sentiments and reveals how concepts like assimilationism emerged as misguided remedies. Nadell connects past injustices, like the Leo Frank case and Henry Ford's anti-Jewish propaganda, to contemporary issues, including the rise of white nationalism and campus debates around anti-Zionism. Her insights challenge listeners to reassess the historical roots of this persistent hatred.

Pamela Nadell, a leading historian of American Jewish history and author of Antisemitism, an American Tradition, traces antisemitism from 1654 New Amsterdam to today. She outlines how medieval Christian tropes traveled to colonial America. The conversation covers the shift from religious anti‑Judaism to racial antisemitism, immigration restrictions, postwar changes, and how anti‑Zionism can become modern Jew‑hatred.