A descendant of one of the most prominent Jewish families since the American Revolution, Blanche Moses firmly believed her maternal ancestors were members of the Sephardic elite. Laura Leibman’s new book, “Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family,” overturns the heiress’s assumptions to reveal that her grandmother and great-uncle began their lives poor, Christian, and enslaved in Barbados. Leibman will discuss how they transformed their lives, becoming free, wealthy, Jewish, and—at times—white, and how their story sheds light on the fluidity of race. Free and open to the public, advance registration is required at https://bildnercenter.rutgers.edu/events/upcoming-events/icalrepeat.detail/2022/02/01/94/-/once-we-were-slaves-the-extraordinary-journey-of-a-multiracial-jewish-family
Sponsor: The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life at Rutgers University