Stolen Moments: Jewish Themes and Cultural Allyship in African American Art

Stolen Moments: Jewish Themes and Cultural Allyship in African American Art is a virtual conversation hosted by the Capital Jewish Museum in partnership with the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies. Dr. LaNitra M. Berger will explore the connections between Black and Jewish identity through African American art and discuss the ways Black artists have engaged with Jewish themes, history, and experience.

The program draws on Berger’s book, *Stolen Moments: Jewish Themes and Cultural Allyship in African American Art*, described as the first book-length study focused on Jewish themes in Black art and on cultural allyship from this perspective. The book argues that Black artists have made substantial contributions to the Black-Jewish relationship, although those contributions have often been misunderstood, overlooked, or suppressed. It examines the work of five influential Black American artists from the late nineteenth century to the present, showing how their art connects Black and Jewish identity in varied and complex ways. Berger links this engagement to Black artists’ own experiences with racism and oppression and to broader questions about how racial identity develops in America.

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Showtimes: 7:30–9 p.m.

Location: Virtual

Tickets: Price not available

Registration: Registration is required through the event page.

Presented by: Dr. LaNitra M. Berger, associate professor of history and art history and director of African and African American Studies at George Mason University

In partnership with: Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies and Capital Jewish Museum

Program: Conversation about Jewish themes in African American art, Black-Jewish identity, and cultural allyship

Featured speaker: LaNitra M. Berger is an award-winning scholar and educator whose work seeks to expand access to higher education for underrepresented students. Her research focuses on art and social activism in the African and Jewish diasporas.

Speaker background: Berger is president and board chair of the Pozez Jewish Community Center in Fairfax, Virginia. She wrote *Irma Stern and the Racial Paradox of South African Modern Art: Audacities of Color* and edited *Social Justice and International Education: Research, Practice, and Perspectives*. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art and international relations from Stanford University and master’s and doctoral degrees in art history from Duke University.

Run time: Approximately 90 minutes

Venue: Capital Jewish Museum event presented online.