Stained Glass

In Stained Glass, Flora Cassen offers a deeply personal and intellectually rich exploration of Jewish life in Europe, from the shadows of the medieval past to the aftermath of the Holocaust and into the present. Blending memoir, family history, and historical analysis, she illuminates how old myths and prejudices about Jews continue to shape Jewish identity today.

Drawing from her upbringing in Antwerp’s Jewish community and her later life in America, Cassen weaves together historical events, family narratives, and contemporary challenges to paint a vivid portrait of Jewish experience in modern Europe. At once intimate and analytical, she reflects on childhood fears of being identified as Jewish, connecting these anxieties to the trauma of historical persecution and the Holocaust.

The book also offers a comparative analysis of Jewish life in Europe and America, highlighting the vibrancy of American Judaism while acknowledging rising concerns about antisemitism in the United States. By juxtaposing these experiences, Stained Glass invites readers to reflect on the future of Jewish communities in a world that is increasingly fractured and uncertain.

Author Biography

Flora Cassen is senior faculty at the Hartman Institute and an associate professor of history and Jewish studies at Washington University in St. Louis.