For most of Jewish history, clothing represented a tension between dressing Jewish and dressing like everybody else. This was especially true in the late 19thand early 20th centuries, precisely the era in which the ancestors of most American Jews immigrated to the United States. In this talk, Eric Silverman, scholar at Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center and author of A Cultural History of Jewish Dress, will demonstrate how we can “read” the clothing in our old family photos for clues about the wider historical processes that shaped our ancestors’ lives, aspirations, and struggles. This program is funded, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Live closed captioning has been made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This event took place on November 30, 2021.