This program traces the key threads in the history of Jews' encounters with First Nations, from Jewish merchants' first interest and arrival in the territory we now call Canada to recent efforts at building solidarity around Reconciliation and the question of Jewish indigenousness in the Middle East. The program will be part primary-source study, part lecture; it outlines the times, places, and meanings of Jewish engagements with First Nations people and themes, and suggests that Canadian Jewish history can be seen as part of the long and troubling history of colonialism, not just the tale of immigrant challenges and achievements, as Canadian Jewish history is so often presented.

David S. Koffman is an assistant professor in the Department of History at York University. He teaches courses on Canadian Jews, religion in American life, antisemitism, religion & capitalism, genealogy, and how we make money meaningful. He earned his PhD in History and Hebrew & Judaic Studies from NYU in 2011, and holds Master's degrees in Jewish Studies, Anthropology, and Public Administration. His first book, about encounters between American Jews and Native Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries, is expected to be published in 2017. He is the co-editor of the journal Canadian Jewish Studies.