Erin Faigin

Erin Faigin is a Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on Jewish suburbanization in the San Fernando Valley, examining intersections of ethnoburbs, popular culture, and working-class politics. She holds an M.A. (2019) and B.A. (2016) in History from UW-Madison and UC Berkeley respectively.

Education:

• M.A. History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019
• B.A. History, University of California, Berkeley, 2016

Research Interests: Faigin’s work explores Jewish communities in suburban contexts, particularly the San Fernando Valley’s cultural landscape. Key themes include private schooling, freeway development, poultry farming communities, and Valley Girl culture. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges urban history, ethnic studies, and cultural geography.

Publications: Her scholarship emphasizes Yiddish cultural preservation and American Jewish identity through articles in In geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies and Marginalia: Los Angeles Review of Books. Recent work analyzes Yiddish pedagogy, anti-fascist music, and utopian spatial narratives.

Teaching: Faigin has taught courses on American suburban history, the American West, Jewish diaspora studies, and race in the Upper Midwest. She specializes in connecting historical analysis to contemporary spatial dynamics.

Professional Roles: She serves as a Teaching Instructor for History 201: The Historian’s Craft and History 227: Race and Place in the Upper Midwest, blending academic rigor with community-engaged learning.