Rebecca Gratz Tea Party and Digital Collection

Event
June 14, 2023
Speaker(s): Melissa Klapper and Nina Warnke
Historians Melissa Klapper and Nina Warnke explore Rebecca Gratz’s legacy and letters in this engaging discussion, highlighting her role in shaping Jewish education and the creation of the Rebecca Gratz Digital Archive.
Tooltip info icon
A discussion of Rebecca Gratz and the Rebecca Gratz Digital Collection. Melissa R. Klapper, PhD, Professor of History and Director of Women’s & Gender Studies, Rowan University Nina Warnke, PhD, Lead Editor, Rebecca Gratz Digital Archive, Gratz College

Open a window into the past of one of America’s most storied Jewish women of the 19th century. Rebecca Gratz, rumored inspiration for Gratz College, was a fierce proponent of Jewish education. Her creation of the first children’s classes for Jewish religion, history and culture eventually became the model for the modern Jewish Sunday School in the United States. Scholar of American Jewish history Melissa R. Klapper will discuss Gratz’s legacy from a historical perspective. We will also dive into the personal side of Rebecca Gratz by reading from a few of her letters, pulled from our collection of almost 800 documents! Nina Warnke, lead editor of the Rebecca Gratz Digital Archive, will guide us through her process of transcribing the letters so that they can be accessible to everyone.​ ​Learn with us; sip tea; munch on scones and cookies; and feel free to wear your favorite Rebecca Gratz-esque hat as we venture back in time to the 19th century!

Explore the Rebecca Gratz Correspondence