This talk explores the history of Jewish life in Auburn and Cayuga County, tracing the story of Congregation B’nai Israel from its beginnings in the late 19th century to its closure in 2013. Drawing on archival research, personal narratives, and community records, This conversation will highlight the contributions of Jewish residents to Auburn’s civic, cultural, and economic life, including key figures such as George Michaels, a former member of New York State Assembly, and Maurice Schwartz, a former mayor of Auburn. We’ll also examine the challenges faced by small Jewish communities in upstate New York, the role of interfaith collaboration, and how B’nai Israel’s legacy continues through charitable initiatives, Holocaust remembrance efforts, and local historical preservation. This presentation invites reflection on the broader story of small-town Jewish life in America and the enduring impact of communities that may no longer exist physically but remain vital parts of our shared history.

About the Speaker

Austin Reid is a writer and historian whose work focuses on documenting hidden Jewish histories and legacies, with a particular interest in small-town Jewish communities in the United States and beyond. His research has been featured in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The Times of Israel, and he has presented his work at various historical societies and libraries. Austin’s exploration of Auburn’s Jewish history stems from his broader efforts to understand how Jewish communities have shaped, and been shaped by, the places they called home. He holds degrees from Capital University and Cornell University and is passionate about uncovering stories that connect local history to broader cultural and historical currents.

Reservations & Live Stream

Admission to this program is $10 for the general public, $5 for Museum Members. If you have access to a Museum Guest Pass, you may redeem a pass for free entry to this program.

If you are unable to attend this program in-person, you may request access to the live stream with a $5 donation. The Museum will send a confirmation e-mail shortly after you make your donation, and a link to the Zoom live stream will be made available 24 hours before the session begins. Click the button below to make a reservation!

In this talk Dr. Anderson will discuss the extent to which land speculation along the early Post-Revolutionary New York frontier had both positive and negative impacts on the economic growth and future industrial development of emerging communities like Auburn.

Using for comparison what happened to land sales in the Cayuga Reservation and Seneca Falls, as well as those in the larger scale speculations further west, Dr. Anderson will demonstrate that Auburn’s development and the prosperity of its early entrepreneurs benefited greatly from the more free market conditions found among land speculations in The New Military Tract, where it was centrally located.

About the Speaker

Scott W. Anderson is Professor Emeritus of the Geography Department at the State University of New York at Cortland.

Reservations & Live Stream

Admission to this program is $10 for the general public, $5 for Museum Members. If you have access to a Museum Guest Pass, you may redeem a pass for free entry to this program.

If you are unable to attend this program in-person, you may request access to the live stream with a $5 donation. The Museum will send a confirmation e-mail shortly after you make your donation, and a link to the Zoom live stream will be made available 24 hours before the session begins. Click the button below to make a reservation!

Crafting the Narrative: The Role of Public Relations in the Suffrage Movement explores how early activists created one of history’s most successful communication campaigns. This lecture explores how suffragists masterfully employed every available media tool – from media relations outreach to media monitoring and more – to transform their vision into reality. Discover how movement leaders like Susan B. Anthony crafted compelling narratives, managed sophisticated message campaigns, and pioneered modern public relations techniques even before public relations became a formal profession. Their strategic approach to changing hearts and minds offers invaluable lessons for today’s communicators and social change advocates.

About the Speaker

Arien Rozelle, APR, is an assistant teaching professor in the public relations department at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She teaches courses in public relations campaigns and public relations ethics, and advises students who compete in the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study Competition. In 2024, the Public Relations Society of America Rochester Chapter named her Educator of the Year.

Rozelle’s research, writing and professional presentations have focused on subjects including PR’s role in social movements; communicating diversity, equity and inclusion; activism in the public relations classroom; PR ethics; and social media best practices.

Rozelle is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and an active member of the Association for the Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Public Relations Division. Rozelle earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from the State University of New York at Fredonia, and a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communication from New York University.