About this episode

Jenna Weissman Joselit discusses the everyday expressions of Judaism and their impact on Jewish identity in America.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jenna Weissman Joselit, a professor of Jewish studies and history, about the everyday expressions of Judaism that reinforce the identity and distinctiveness of the Jewish People. In this episode we discuss: —What consequential institutional decisions shaped the trajectory of American Judaism? —What overlooked personalities and phenomena contributed to the development of American Judaism? —What is the role of the tallis in American Jewish aesthetics? Interview begins at 10:42. Tune in to hear a retrospective reflection on modern Jewish life and culture. Jenna Weissman Joselit is the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of History at The George Washington University. She specializes in the history and culture of America’s Jews, U.S. cultural history, and the relationship between material culture and identity. She is the author of Set in Stone: America’s Embrace of the Ten Commandments , The Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture, 1880–1950 , which received the National Jewish Book Award in History, and A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America . She writes a monthly column on…

More episodes of 18Forty Podcast

• Carmi Schwartz: The Road That Got Us Here [American Jewish History 4/4] · July 14, 2026 · 1h 33m
• Zev Eleff: 250 Years of American Judaism [American Jewish History 2/4] · June 30, 2026 · 1h 27m
• Elana Moskowitz: In Appreciation of My American Jewish Childhood [American Jewish History 1/4] · June 23, 2026 · 1h 36m
• Finance Debate: Larry Rothwachs and Leslie Ginsparg Klein · June 16, 2026 · 1h 16m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the 18Forty Podcast podcast page.