The Amazing Story of Rabbi Izak “the Convert” Graanboom of Amsterdam; Ukrainian Jewish History Video Online

Really enjoyed visiting Edmonton last week for this conference, very intelligent and receptive audiences.

My keynote was preceded by a general welcome to the conference from Dr. Ryan Dunch, and starts with something that is widespread at the University of Alberta: an acknowledgment that the University is situated on land that originally belonged to First Nations. I was frankly touched by this acknowledgment, which is not a rote statement but appears in different forms in email headers, websites, and the like.

Then a senior scholar whose work I respect deeply, Dr. John-Paul Himka, delivered a longish introduction to my work which frankly made me blush. I was surprised at how familiar he was with my career as a graduate student, reading well outside his own areas of specialization.

My talk begins around 14:00. The Q&A at the end went on for another hour or so beyond the video. I hope you find it meaningful!


Now this is a really remarkable story!

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