Page 6 - Jewish News_may2021

6 May 2021 FEDERATION NEWS

Women take center stage in May’s

People of the Book virtual author events

By Gayle Guynup
he People of the Book series she has received the American Jewish female writers influenced me, then I Janice Kaplan /
of virtual author events, spon- Historical Society’s Lee Max Friedman would start with the East European The Genius of Women
Tsored by The Jewish Federa- Award for distinguished service to the Jewish immigrant writers Mary Antin Janice Kaplan is a novelist, maga-
tion of Sarasota-Manatee, continues profession. Her newest book, Amer- and Kate Simon. zine editor and television producer.
in May with three works with “wom- ica’s Jewish Women: A History from From 2007-2010, Kaplan served as
en” as the theme. The first event is on Colonial Times to Today, received the editor-in-chief of Parade magazine,
Monday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m. with National Jewish Book Award – Jewish a Sunday newspaper supplement that
Pamela Nadell and her book, Amer- Book of the Year. In this historical nar- has a circulation of 32 million. She is
ica’s Jewish Women: A History from rative, Nadell weaves together the sto- also the author of 14 books and hosts
Colonial Times to Today. It will be ries of a diverse group of extraordinary a podcast centered around gratitude.
followed on Tuesday, May 11 at 2:00 women, from colonial-era matriarch In her newest book, The Genius of
p.m. with author Janice Kaplan and Grace Nathan to Justice Ruth Bader Women, Kaplan asks and answers the
her book, The Genius of Women. The Ginsburg, women who helped carve question: If we tell girls that they can
month will wrap up on Wednesday, out a Jewish-American identity. be anything, why do 90% of Ameri-
May 12 at 7:00 p.m. with Bill Haltom Who was the most influential cans believe that geniuses are almost
and his book, Why Can’t Mother Vote? woman in your life, and why? always men? Kaplan sets out to de-
Pamela Nadell / Of course, the most influential are termine why the extraordinary work
America’s Jewish Women: A History my mother and my daughter! I didn’t of so many women has been brushed
from Colonial Times to Today have female role models in college
Pamela Nadell is a professor and Pat- even though I went to a women’s col-
rick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and lege. That was because most of my
Gender History at American Universi- professors in Jewish Studies in un-
ty in Washington, D.C. A past president dergraduate and graduate school were
of the Association for Jewish Studies, men. But, if you want to know which Pamela Nadell
What was your main inspiration,
and what was your biggest challenge,
in writing this book?
Gerda Lerner, the Viennese Jew-
ish refugee who helped launch the ac-
ademic field of women’s history, once
quipped that her commitment to writ-
ing women’s history came from her
life, not out of her head. I could say the
same. But the challenge was that for
about 20 years I worked on this book.
It took me a long time to figure out
how to write it. Part of that time was Janice Kaplan
spent waiting for new women’s histo- aside. Through interviews with doz-
ry scholarship to appear to answer the ens of women geniuses at work in the
many questions I had. world today, she proves that genius is
What is it that you hope readers not just about talent. It’s about hav-
will take away from your book? ing talent recognized, nurtured and
I hope readers will be impressed celebrated.
Who was the most influential
by the remarkable diversity of Ameri- woman in your life, and why?
ca’s Jewish women and by their deep
PRESENT S
l
JUSTre ere el commitments to making the world a Most of the early influences in
JUST
better place.
continued on next page
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