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Roosevelt & the Jews

Jewish Book Week 2025

Sun 2 Mar
Words

Roosevelt & the Jews

Jewish Book Week 2025

Speaker Andrew Porwancher
Chair Aviva Dautch

An insightful talk from Professor Andrew Porwancher on the US President Theodore Roosevelt’s deep connection and complex relationship with Jews.


Theodore Roosevelt, a scion of the Protestant elite, was an unexpected champion of the impoverished immigrants who crowded the docks at Ellis Island. Yet, from an early age, he formed a bond with the Jewish community that had never been witnessed before in a US president, rallying for sweatshop reform and citing the heroism of the Maccabee warriors. In American Maccabee, Professor Andrew Porwancher, author of The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, traces the 26th President’s deep connection and complex relationship with Jews, as persecution in Eastern Europe saw a wave of refugees flee to American shores. In conversation with poet and Jewish Renaissance executive director Aviva Dautch.

This event will last approximately 1 hour, without an interval.


About the speaker:

Andrew Porwancher is professor of history at Arizona State University. His books include American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews (forthcoming from Princeton), The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton (Princeton) and The Devil Himself: A Tale of Honor, Insanity, and the Birth of Modern America.


Aviva Dautch is the resident poetry expert on BBC Radio 4’s poetry series On Form. Her residencies and commissions have included Hay and Bradford Literature Festivals for the Gustav Klimt centenary, The British Museum and The National Gallery. Aviva is the director of Jewish Renaissance.

Plan your visit

Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.

Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.

The Venue 
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.

Event Times 
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.

  • Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
  • We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
  • Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible

Access

We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.

If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk. 

 

Food & Drink

Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.

Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.

Date:Sun 2 Mar
Start time:8pm (Doors: 7.30pm)
Venue:St Pancras Room
Availability:Sold out

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