Upcoming programs
Ballot Box Priorities on April 23, 2026 SHOULD JEWS VOTE AS JEWISH AMERICANS OR AS AMERICAN JEWS?
Since the middle of the 19th century, Jews have debated whether they should prioritize their Jewish interests/concerns when voting. Over the years, many have insisted that all Americans, including Jewish citizens, must think about what is best for America as a whole when they cast their votes. Others have contended that America is (to quote Walt Whitman) “not merely a nation but a teeming Nation of nations,” and therefore each little “nation” or “interest group” is entitled to assert its own constituency-driven concerns.
In this session, Dr. Gary P. Zola will illustrate how this debate evolved over the course of our American Jewish past.
Dr. Gary P. Zola
About The Speaker
Gary Phillip Zola is the Executive Director Emeritus of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) and the Edward M. Ackerman Family Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the American Jewish Experience & Reform Jewish History at Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati, where he received both his rabbinic ordination (1982) and his Ph.D. in American Jewish History.
Dr. Zola became the AJA’s second director in 1998, succeeding his teacher and mentor, Professor Jacob Rader Marcus (1896-1995).
President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Zola on three separate occasions (2011, 2014, and 2017) to serve as a member of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, an independent agency of the Federal government.
From 2000 to 2005, Dr. Zola served as the chair of the congressionally recognized Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History. In 2006, Dr. Zola became the first American Jewish historian to receive appointment to the Academic Advisory Council of the congressionally recognized Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
Professor Zola has published extensively. He is renowned as a national speaker and has received numerous honors and recognitions.
Dr. Zola and his wife, Stefi, reside in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have four grown children (Mandi, Jory, Jeremy, and Samantha) and five grandchildren (Tyler, Austin, Isaac, Lila, and Savannah)
Previous Programs 2026
Expanding our Experience of the Passover Seder Traditions of the Jews of Turkey, Rhodes, and Iraq
(March 25, 2026) Passcode: 91+inE7f
SPEAKING TO YOUR PEOPLE IN TIMES OF EXTREME DANGER
The Sermons of Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman
(March 3, 2026) Passcode: QK6.2VpX
THE TUNES THEY ARE A’ CHANGIN’:
The Why and What of New Music for Our Movement
(February 3, 2026) Passcode: QK6.2VpX