The 350th Anniversary of American Jewish Life
Publication Date: October 2004
Publisher(s): Association for Jewish Studies
Author(s): Jonathan D. Sarna
Series: AJS Perspectives: The Newsletter of the Association for Jewish Studies, Fall/Winter 2004, pp.22-24.
Special Collection: Berman Jewish Policy Archive
Keywords: Academic Research; History; Communal Memory
Coverage: United States
The author states that historical markers like the 350th anniversary of American Jewish life can serve as “teachable moments”—all-too-rare opportunities to reach beyond the academy and excite a larger public about what it is that we do. Most importantly, they help us to advance our fields by stimulating scholarship and making possible a wide range of conferences that (at their best) promote creative ideas and lively academic interactions.