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In his visit to the VCU campus, Adam Jortner will talk about the main points he writes about in his book, "A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom."

His talk will explore the central role of Judaism in the making of the United States and its definition of citizenship, widening the scope of the American Revolution and those who fought in it, including Jewish patriots. In addition, he will break down the myth that America was founded as a Christian nation first and foremost.

About the speaker

Adam Jortner is the former Goodwin-Philpott Professor of History at Auburn University, and now teaches at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. He is the author of "A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution," and the "Birth of Religious Freedom," a book about the forgotten story of Jewish patriots who fled from British armies with their Torah in tow, wrote prayers for George Washington in Hebrew, and set up kosher tables to celebrate the passage of the Constitution.