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What is the relationship between the physical home and a feeling of belonging? On Shavuot, we read about Ruth who, upon the death of her husband, leaves behind all she’s ever known to follow her beloved Israelite mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem. A defining feature of modern Jewish experience is the process of leaving home, whether voluntarily or by force.
 
Join us as we dive deeper into how Jews have made themselves feel “at home” in various continents and global contexts from the late 19th century to present day.

Anna Band received her PhD (with Distinction) in History from the University of Chicago. Her field of specialization is Modern Jewish History, and dissertation examined the axes of Jewish migration, dwelling space, and belonging in interwar Germany. At the University of Chicago, Anna created and taught numerous undergraduate courses, on topics such as Jewish Migration and Urbanization, the Holocaust and Human Rights, and Gender and Jewish History. She received the Wayne C. Booth Prize (the highest university-wide teaching honor awarded to graduate students) in recognition of the innovative courses she designed and taught in Jewish History. Anna also holds a BA (with High Honors) in History and Jewish Studies from Oberlin College, and an MA in History from the University of Chicago. Anna is currently on the Jewish History faculty at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD.