THERE’S A PLACE FOR US:

Jews, Catholics and the American Experience

Both Judaism and Catholicism in America have a long, complex, and intertwined history. In the British colonies, prior to the Revolution, both groups were relatively small, minority traditions. Subsequently, both played a major role in defining and broadening the American concept of freedom of religion.

With massive immigration in the 19th century, discrimination against both Jews and Catholics rose, while at the same time the two groups also increasingly collided with one another. In recent years, official Jewish-Catholic relations have improved significantly, the rate of mixed marriage between the two has also increased.

Please join us for Rabbi Sussman’s intriguing, comparative discussion of Judaism and Catholicism in the United States.  To register for this fascinating presentation (both on-line or in-person), on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Shalom, please rsvp to (no later than January 12th) at:   https://bit.ly/3REOz20

After you complete the registration form, you will receive an acknowledge-ment. You will then receive a Zoom Invitation Link a few days prior to event.  Please refer all questions about registration to adulted@seashul.org.

 

More about Rabbi Sussman:

Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D. is Rabbi Emeritus  of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, PA where he served from 2001 to 2022.   A specialist in American Jewish History, Sussman is the author of a number of books in his field, including the seminal biography Isaac Leeser and the Making of American Judaism (1995). Along  with Jonathan D. Sarna and Paula S. Nadel,  he served as an editor of New Essays in American Jewish History (2010). A prolific writer, Sussman has published significant articles on a variety of topics including modern Jewish life and Jewish art.  Most recently, he published Portrait of an American Rabbi: In His Own Words (2023), a collection of his sermons and writings from the last twenty-one years.

Rabbi Sussman has taught at Princeton University, Binghamton (SUNY) University, and Hunter College, among others, and has also served as Chair of the Board of Governors of Gratz College. A popular speaker, Sussman has been a scholar-in-residence, given hundreds of community lectures, and participated in the creation of a number of television documentaries. He currently serves as the Memoirs Section Editor of the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s Journal and is working on a book on Jews, law, and the American Revolution.

For decades, Rabbi Sussman has been involved in communal and national activities. He is currently serving as the Vice President of the North American Board of Rabbis, Vice President of the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, and Senior Scholar of Roots of Reform Judaism.  He was the founding President of the Cheltenham Area Multifaith Council and has also been involved in museum work in Philadelphia and Binghamton.

Rabbi Sussman and his wife, Liz, have 5 children and 3 grandchildren. They live in North Wales, PA and also have a year round home in Brigantine, NJ.