Join us for Where did this come from? The New Antisemitism, Its Origins, and What to Do Now, with Mark Oppenheimer, a distinguished Yale Ph.D. in religious studies, New York Times columnist, creator of the Unorthodox podcast, and author of five books, as he shares insights from his illustrious 25-year career exploring American religion, Jewish life, and culture.

Mark Oppenheimer

Mark Oppenheimer has been covering American religion for 25 years. He holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Yale, and has taught at Stanford, Wesleyan, Wellesley, NYU, Boston College, and Yale. 

From 2010 to 2016, he wrote the “Beliefs” column, about religion, for The New York Times, and he has also written for publications including The New Yorker, The Nation, Slate, and more. He created Unorthodox, the world’s most popular podcast about Jewish life and culture, with over 7 million downloads to date. More recently, he hosted an eight-part podcast called Gatecrashers, about the history of Jews and antisemitism at Ivy League schools. 

He is the author of five books, including The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia and, most recently, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood; his next project is a biography of Judy Blume. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, four daughters, one son, and two dogs.
 

Check out our curated collection of Mark Oppenheimer's work!

Shalom Hartman Institute - Identity Crisis Podcast with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer

Presentation at the Bob Grahm Center for Public Service, University of Florida

Gatecrashers: A Podcast About the History of Jews in the Ivy League

Gatecrashers: A History of Jews in the Ivy League Video Presentation

Webinar with Harvard Hillel: History of Jews in the Ivy League

Time Magazine Article: The Tree of Life Trial and the Necessity to Forget Mass Violence

The Bruce Tranen z"l Distinguished Speakers Series at Temple Sholom of Chicago, established in 2021 through the generosity of Bruce z"l and Jan Tranen, has created a legacy to continue our longstanding tradition of hosting thought leaders and visionaries who inspire action on the most pressing issues of our time. Over the years, our congregation has been graced by the presence of luminaries such as Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Elie Wiesel, Thomas Friedman and so many more whose messages of hope, resilience, and moral courage have profoundly impacted our community. Join us as we uphold this legacy, offering these enlightening lectures free to the public and fostering a community of informed inspired action.

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