Come meet Ron Arons, author of The Jews of Sing Sing, whose great-grandfather had done a 'stretch' in the famed prison. When he embarked on a journey to learn more about his ancestor and how he landed in jail, Ron discovered that there were thousands of Jews behind bars at Sing Sing between 1880 and 1950. At this event, you’ll hear more about Sing Sing prison, Ron’s research on Jewish criminality, and the family secret he unearthed while researching this book. Books will be available for purchase and signing, while supplies last.

We are delighted to present this event in conjunction with the Sing Sing Prison Museum, the extraordinary location where the complex and compelling stories of incarceration are shared on the grounds of one of America’s most historic active prisons. A site of self-reflection and learning, the Museum challenges all of us to imagine a more equitable criminal justice system and to take action toward building a more just society.

Ron is a speaker, author, and former high-tech industry executive. When he started researching his roots more than twenty years ago, he discovered a deeply buried family secret which captivated his imagination and has kept him quite busy since then. Ron has given more than 500 presentations on Jewish criminality, technology, and research methodology. He appeared on the PBS TV special The Jewish Americans and earned a Hackman Research Grant from the NY State Archives to continue his research on Jewish criminality in New York City. Currently, Ron is the Secretary on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from Princeton and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

This is event is free, though we request RSVPs for planning purposes. Light refreshments available.