In the Matter of Food: Jewish Peddling in the New World, with Hasia Diner

The age of the great Jewish migration saw millions of European, Ottoman, and North African Jews leave their old homes to make new ones in new lands. Scores of men took their first steps in these unfamiliar places as peddlers, selling house-to-house in non-Jewish communities. As they slept in these customers’ homes, it was largely through food that they negotiated their Jewish commitments and engagements with those unfamiliar with their culture. Learn more in this lecture from Hasia Diner, who is a New York University professor of Hebrew and Judaic studies and history; Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History; and director of the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History. Reservations are required; RSVP by calling 617-353-9852.