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Register 392 Seats Remaining
Richard Kreitner is the author of Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery.
A dramatic history of how American Jews reckoned with slavery―and fought the Civil War.
Since ancient times, the Jewish people have recalled the story of Exodus and reflected on the implications of having been slaves. Did the tradition teach that Jews should speak out against slavery and oppression everywhere, or act cautiously to protect themselves in a hostile world?
In Fear No Pharaoh, the journalist and historian Richard Kreitner sets this question at the heart of the Civil War era. Using original sources, he tells the intertwined stories of six American Jews who helped to shape a tumultuous time, including Judah Benjamin, the brilliant, secretive lawyer who became Jefferson Davis’s trusted confidante; Morris Raphall, a Swedish-born rabbi who defended slavery as biblically justified; and Raphall’s rival rabbis―the celebrated Isaac Mayer Wise, who urged Jews to stay out of the slavery controversy to avoid attracting attention, and David Einhorn, whose fiery sermons condemning bondage led to a pro-slavery mob threatening his life. We also meet August Bondi, a veteran of Europe’s 1848 revolutions, who fought with John Brown in “Bleeding Kansas” and later in the Union Army, and the Polish émigré Ernestine Rose, a feminist, atheist, and abolitionist who championed “emancipation of all kinds.”
As he tracks these characters, Kreitner illuminates the shifting dynamics of Jewish life in America―and the debates about religion, morality, and politics that endure to this day.
“Riveting . . . While surfacing fascinating new details . . . Kreitner also points to intriguing ways in which the slavery debate spurred reflection on assimilation vs. insularity that defined the next century of Jewish American thought. Readers will be engrossed.” ―Publishers Weekly
This moderated one-hour program will be followed by a book signing with Richard Kreitner.
Doors open at 5:30pm. Advanced registration is suggested to ensure a seat in the theater.
This program honors Rabbi Ira Sanders and his commitment to intellectual freedom.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Literature & Language | History & Genealogy |
TAGS: | SpeakerSeries | RonRobinsonTheater |
Today's hours
We're open 9:00AM to 5:30PM
The Ron Robinson Theater is a 315-seat multi-purpose event venue. Part of the Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Main Library campus, it is designed to provide programs for all ages including films, music performances, plays, readings, lectures, speakers, and children’s activities. The theater is equipped with a state-of-the-art DCI-compliant Barco digital cinema projection system and 32′ wide retractable screen; and, a versatile sound system capable of Dolby 5.1 surround audio for movies, with a CL3 digital mixing console with ample inputs for traditional music concerts.