Taking a detour from an academic conference, Penn State University scholar Eliyana Adler a made a roots trip to visit the obscure village in western Ukraine from which, a century ago, her grandmother had emigrated — twice. In our new Have Your Say essay, Adler contemplates the experience, reflecting on the “odd phenomenon” of Jewish heritage travel and the impact of visiting physical spaces — and wondering about both their enduring presence and their eventual disappearance.
Adler teaches East European Jewish History at Penn State. She specializes in the modern Jewish experience in Eastern Europe, with particular interests in the history of education, religion, gender studies, and the advent of modernity.
Click here to read Adler’s essay