THE PROMISE AND PERIL OF CITIZENSHIP: JEWISH PATHS TO BELONGING

4-PART SERIES: MAY 4, 11, 18; JUNE 1
Presented by Geraldine Gudefin, Historian

What did it mean for Jews to become citizens of modern states—and what did citizenship demand in return? This four-lecture series explores modern Jewish history through the lens of rights, belonging, and political identity from the Enlightenment to the twentieth century.

Moving from revolutionary France to the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, and Israel, we will examine how Jews navigated new promises of equality while negotiating the preservation of communal and religious life. Through close engagement with primary sources we will explore competing visions of citizenship: Was emancipation a path to full inclusion, or did it require redefining Jewish collective identity? How did imperial and colonial systems reshape the meaning of rights? And how did Jews imagine belonging across borders in an increasingly interconnected world? Jewish history reveals that citizenship is never fixed or guaranteed. It is contested, negotiated, and often fragile—a reality that continues to resonate in today’s debates over migration, minority rights, and national identity.

Register one time for all four sessions.