The History of Antisemitism: "The Great Christmas Boycott of 1906" Book Talk

Join us for a compelling online book talk with historian Scott D. Seligman, author of The Great Christmas Boycott of 1906, as he unpacks a dramatic and little known chapter in American Jewish history. Set in New York at the dawn of the twentieth century, this meticulously researched account begins in the winter of 1905-1906 when a Brooklyn elementary school principal urged his Jewish students to be “more like Jesus Christ,” sparking outrage in the community and inspiring mass mobilization. What followed was a citywide boycott of public school Christmas pageants by Jewish families, a protest that triggered an enormous antisemitic backlash and raised urgent questions about religion, identity, and citizenship in the United States. 

Seligman’s book details how the Jewish community of New York, led by activist Albert Lucas and backed by Orthodox, Reform, and immigrant voices alike, refused to remain silent. They challenged the public school system, pressured the school board to limit sectarian religious practices in schools, and confronted the backlash head-on. In doing so, they forged a formative model for how American Jews engaged with public schooling, the boundaries of religious expression, and the meaning of belonging.