A Distinguished Jewish Woman’s Civil War Diary

Born in North Carolina to a prominent Jewish family, Emma Mordecai (1812–1906) remained loyal to Judaism and to Jewish observance—as well as to her home state—for her entire life, even as relatives abandoned tradition and in some cases converted to Christianity. Her diaries provide a remarkable, intimate, and sometimes discomfiting window into American Jewish life during the Civil War era. Melissa Klapper takes a nuanced look at this text in conversation with Nachi Weinstein. (Audio, 70 minutes.)