The Union of Russian Jews in New York (1940s-1960s): Professor Sergei Kan delivers the Marian and Byron Strug Memorial Lecture

Dartmouth Professor of Anthropology and Jewish Studies Sergei Kan delivered the annual Marian and Byron Strug Memorial Lecture at Tulane University's Jewish Studies Program, titled "The Union of Russian Jews in New York (1940s-1960s)", earlier in November 2025.

In the mid-twentieth century, the Union of Russian Jews in New York emerged as an important institution for immigrants navigating displacement, identity, and political change. Active from the 1940s through the 1960s, the organization became a space where memories of the Russian Empire and the Soviet experience intersected with the realities of American urban life. Professor Sergei Kan highlighted the historical significance of this community in his lecture, exploring how Russian Jewish émigrés balanced adaptation with cultural continuity, underscoring the Union's enduring legacy in shaping American Jewish history.