Syracuse Sun

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs have announced the appointment of Britt Tevis as an assistant professor in the Department of History in the Maxwell School and as the Phyllis Backer Professor of Jewish Studies in A&S. The Backer professorship was established in 2020 through a $1.5 million gift from the Phyllis Backer Foundation, which supports education and medical research organizations with an emphasis on Jewish-related causes.

Tevis, a modern Jewish historian focusing on American Jewish history and antisemitism in the U.S., has held various academic positions, most recently as the Rene Plessner Postdoctoral Fellow in Antisemitism and Holocaust Studies at Columbia University’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. She holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a law degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in Jewish studies and political science from the University of Florida.

“Our program is absolutely delighted to have Dr. Tevis’s appointment as the Backer Chair of Jewish Studies,” says Zachary Braiterman, who served as director of the Jewish studies program when she was hired. “She brings invaluable expertise in the history of law and civil rights as reflected in the American Jewish experience, and she will contribute new and rich dimensions to the program.”

Tevis plans to introduce students to modern Jewish history through coursework covering topics such as antisemitism's history in the U.S., Jews' roles in American popular culture, legal rights efforts by Jews, integration challenges into non-Jewish societies, changes to religious practices, and various aspects of Jewish American culture.

According to Tevis, studying American Jewish history alongside larger U.S. history highlights critical issues like the gap between America's ideal equality per its Declaration of Independence versus its historical denial of political and civil rights for certain populations. This interaction between discrimination levels and prosperity continues to characterize American Jews' experiences since their arrival in North America during the 17th century.

“Many people struggle to define the boundaries of antisemitism,” Tevis says. “Like most topics, understanding antisemitism requires studying the past so as to be able to understand its origin, particular characteristics and varied dimensions.”

Tevis aims to enhance intellectual vibrancy within both departments through her teaching, research, publications including her forthcoming anthology “Sanctioned Bigotry: A Documented History of Antisemitism in United States” expected in 2025. She is also completing a book on overlooked Jewish emancipation lawyers who worked towards securing rights for American Jews across areas like immigration labor civil rights but were often misrepresented by historians.

“To my mind it is impossible to overstate importance historical knowledge teaches us why our world functions illuminating how people made given choices shaped later developments,” she states. “I am overjoyed join incredible faculty here embrace opportunity uncover underdeveloped undertheorized dimensions American Jewish history.”