The 2024 Padnos Lecture, titled "How Women Changed American Religion: A Jewish Perspective," and delivered by Professor Karla Goldman (University of Michigan) at 7 PM, October 29, in Loosemore Auditorium, explores how American Judaism has been shaped by general societal expectations for women's religious behavior and by new active roles Jewish women took on within their religious institutions. Major changes included the restructuring of synagogue architecture with the removal of the women’s gallery, the redefinition of community through women’s volunteerism, and the introduction of women's religious leadership, which also challenged conventional theology. Historically and today, American Judaism -- in dialogue with American society and other models of spiritual practice -- has constantly evolved and transformed to match the ever-moving target of gendered expectations for religious behavior and training.

Dr. Goldman's research focuses on the history of the American Jewish experience with special attention to the history of American Jewish communities and the evolving roles and contributions of American Jewish women. She directs the University of Michigan Jewish Communal Leadership Program, a collaborative effort between the School of Social Work and the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies.