American Jewish Life

The University of Virginia's Jewish Studies Program will host its second annual Conference on Jewish Life in the Diaspora on November 10–11, 2024. The conference will focus on the lives and works of three prominent Jewish writers and scholars: Daniel Mendelsohn (columnist, essayist, author of The Lost: The Search for Six of Six Million), Samira K. Mehta (professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, author of The Racism of People Who Love You: Essays on Mixed Race Belonging), and Shulem Deen (writer, translator, and author of All Who Go Do Not Return). Their discussion will include accounts of immigration, religious innovation, family histories from the Holocaust, and diasporic identity vis-à-vis Israel – as well as their critical reflections on the past, present, and future of American Jewish life.

On the evening of Sunday, November 10, 2024, UVA Jewish Studies Professor Caroline Kahlenberg will moderate a panel discussion with the three speakers on American Jewish Life. On the following Monday, November 11, 2024, each speaker will host a Learning Session about one of their written works. Learning sessions are open to all UVA faculty and students, registration is required here (spaces limited).

Parking: Nau Hall is located at 1540 Jefferson Park Avenue. Most street parking behind Nau Hall is free on Sunday evenings. Additional parking is available in the Central Grounds Garage, a ten-minute walk from Nau Hall.