Forging a More Perfect Union: American Jews and Democracy with Professor Lauren Strauss

Forging a More Perfect Union examines the history of American Jewish political activism across the 20th and 21st centuries. In this presentation, Professor Lauren Strauss looks beyond abstract debates about the nation’s founding to explore how Jewish Americans—particularly in Washington, DC—have participated in public life and helped shape the meaning of democracy. The program is presented in partnership with Moment Magazine and takes place during the 250th anniversary year of American independence.

Lauren Strauss teaches Jewish history and literature at American University, where she also directs undergraduate studies for the Jewish Studies Program. Her scholarship focuses on American Jewish political and cultural history. She is completing a book about Jewish visual artists, Yiddish culture, and radical politics in interwar New York, and is planning another book on the political activism of DC Jews and the relationship between American Jews and democracy. Strauss also lectures widely, comments on Jewish cultural events and news, has served as a historian for museum exhibitions, and participates in shared-society and Black-Jewish dialogue groups.

When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Showtimes: No showtime is provided.

Venue: Capital Jewish Museum, 575 3rd Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: Members: $5; general admission: $10; Chai membership tickets: $18

Speaker: Professor Lauren Strauss

Presented with: Moment Magazine

Program: A historical examination of American Jewish political engagement, including activism from the streets to the courts and Capitol Hill.

Accessibility: No event-specific accessibility information is provided.