Brad Stone, a Jewish volunteer docent at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, will deliver a talk on how the modern American Christmas holiday was based on many influences throughout the course of American history, most notably the Civil War. The talk will also explore how Jews contributed to major components of the holiday in the aftermath of the Civil War.

In addition, Stone will talk about how the adoption of Christmas as a nationwide holiday led American Jewry to develop its own comparable national celebration, the modern-day Chanukah festival.

The free talk will be given at the museum’s Delaplaine Randall Conference Room, at 48 E. Patrick Street in Frederick. For information, call John Lustrea with the Museum at 301-695-1864 or john.lustrea@CivilWarMed.org