Presented by Avinoam Patt, Doris and Simon Konover Chair of Judaic Studies and Director of the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, University of Connecticut. The Jewish encounter with the modern world has been framed by the dual factors of antisemitism and assimilation, which have paradoxically ensured Jewish survival, while also serving as constraints on Jewish growth. This lecture will explore the ways in which Jews have responded to the opportunities and challenges of these twin factors and the ways in which Jewish identity in the modern period has been shaped by this encounter.