Jess Olson, at The Blogs

Jess Olson

Jan 11, 2021, 5:15 PM

On the eve of a day of service, thinking about a history of violence

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was occupied and violated by a right-wing mob explicitly intent on stopping the machinery of American democracy in order to install their tyrant. Participants in this profanity have thus far been...

Aug 4, 2020, 8:17 AM

From Afrika 70 to Zion80: A talk with Jon Madof

Fela Kuti didn’t need you to feel comfortable. Yes, he made famous the infectious groove of Afrobeat. It is hard to imagine a music more characterized by sonorous motion. He and his bandmates refined the tightest, funkiest beats of...

About Me

Jess Olson is professor of Jewish history at Yeshiva University and a psychoanalyst in private practice in New York. He has written several articles and two books on Jewish history, culture, Zionism, and religious identity.