Threading History: Jewish Americans and the Garment Industry

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Morris Hirshfield Rediscovered, on view at Cantor Arts Center through January 21, 2024

Please join us for this enriching afternoon of art and history as we explore Jewish American immigration in the early 20th century through the lens of garment industry labor in New York City. First, we welcome a panel of scholars to explore these themes: Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in Art History at Stanford Richard Meyer will present the case of Morris Hirshfield, a Jewish immigrant tailor who became an internationally recognized painter in the 1940s. He will be followed by presentations from two leading scholars of Jewish cultural history, Hasia Diner (Professor Emeritus of American Jewish History at NYU) and Gabriel Goldstein (Interim Director and Chief Curator at Yeshiva University Museum).

Lunch will be served in the Oshman Courtyard after which a tour of Morris Hirshfield Rediscovered at the Cantor Arts Center will be offered.

This event is generously sponsored by the Taube Center for Jewish Studies, the Department of Art & Art History, and the Cantor Arts Center. 

Date: Thursday, November 9th, 2023
Panel Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Oshman Hall, McMurtry Building

Lunch: 1:30 pm
Location: Oshman Courtyard

Tour of Morris Hirshfield Rediscovered: 2:00 pm
Location:  Freidenrich Family Gallery, Cantor Arts Center