Natalia Mehlman Petrzela: Fit Nation Jews, Exercise, and the Making of Modern American Fitness Culture

Stereotypes about Jewish physical weakness have meant that the crucial role of Jews in making American fitness culture has often been overlooked — despite the 19th century tradition of muscular Judaism established precisely to challenge these assumptions. Join historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession, for an exciting talk and conversation about how and why Jews were so influential — but understudied — in shaping American fitness.