Education
Gratz College Launches America’s First Master’s Degree in Antisemitism Studies
PHILADELPHIA, February 22, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Gratz College is launching the first Master of Arts degree program in Antisemitism Studies in the United States in Fall 2024. This ground-breaking program will help fill the vacuum of knowledge about antisemitism across Jewish, non-Jewish, and governmental organizations responsible for generating policy to combat prejudice at a time of unprecedented Jew hatred.
It will:
• Provide an academic home for those seeking to develop both a deep theoretical and practical understanding of antisemitism;
• Help generate new and impactful research on the factors that contribute to growing antisemitism and test interventions that can successfully combat it; and
• Arm educators and practitioners with the most effective antisemitism pedagogy and programming.
Through degree concentrations in teaching, advocacy and research, graduates of this program will be uniquely qualified for prominent careers in education, think tanks, government relations, public policy, and community organizations (Jewish and non-Jewish).
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is eager to see this program take shape:
“We’re seeing a dangerous rise in antisemitism, hatred, and bigotry across our country – and it’s more important than ever that Pennsylvanians be equipped with a thorough knowledge of our shared history and the skills to discern fact from fiction. Gratz College is already renowned for its Holocaust and Genocide Studies programs, and I am encouraged the College is expanding upon that work with a new Master’s degree in Antisemitism Studies. I wish the faculty, staff, and especially the inaugural class of Antisemitism Studies students, great success in their work.”
The program is directed by Dr. Ayal Feinberg, antisemitism studies expert and Director of the Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights at Gratz College. The program boasts a distinguished interdisciplinary faculty from academia and leading public advocacy organizations. Despite its infancy, the degree has been endorsed by nearly one hundred scholars and public policy experts from around the world. Professor of Political Science at Kalamazoo College R. Amy Elman asserts, “With an emphasis on operationalizing knowledge, informed teaching and ethical advocacy, Gratz’s innovative graduate program fulfills a deep need in countering antisemitism.”
Gratz’s Antisemitism Studies program is also establishing ground-breaking partnerships with the world’s most prominent Jewish organizations and programs to combat antisemitism in the classroom, on campus, and in professional workspaces. In the first such partnership, Gratz and The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History have joined forces to launch the National Education Fellowship on Antisemitism. The aim of this fellowship is to generate and assess paradigm-shifting middle and high school curriculum to reduce Jew-hatred and prejudice more broadly.
As an early adopter of online education, a 128-year history of Jewish learning, and home to the world’s largest graduate program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Gratz is uniquely qualified to take on this necessary and overdue program.
On March 4, 2024, the master’s degree program will kick-off with a series of public lectures, including by scholars serving as affiliate faculty for the program. On April 2, 2024, Dr. Avinoam Patt, inaugural director of NYU’s Center for Study of Antisemitism and the Maurice Greenberg Professor of Holocaust Studies, will deliver a keynote lecture, titled, "Awake My People": Jewish Responses to Antisemitism in the Modern Period.” Additional talks will take place before the program officially begins in August.
Prospective students eager to start may apply now and take courses as early as March 2024 with electives in Antisemitism Studies already developed as a preview to the program.
Gratz College is grateful to the Isidore and Penny Myers Foundation for generously supporting the launch of the Antisemitism Studies program. Jay Myers, Board Chair, shared: “The Isidore and Penny Myers Foundation, a family foundation guided by Jewish American values, sees great worth in educating future generations about the roots of Antisemitism, and by doing so, working to combat it. This degree program will create scholars who can devote their talent to meet this challenge. Our Foundation is proud to support this work and by so doing, meet our obligation to help repair the world.”
Contact: lcohen@gratz.edu for more information.
Contact Information:Lori Cohen
Director of Marketing and Design
lcohen@gratz.edu
215-635-7300 x182
Original Source: Gratz College Launches America's First Master's Degree in Antisemitism Studies
Latest Fit News
Survey Reveals Language Learner Preferences: Human Instructors vs. AI – Lingoda’s Findings
MIAMI, October 31, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The world of education is undergoing a profound transformation with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, a recent survey conducted by Lingoda, the leading online language learning platform, reveals that language learners still place a high value on human interaction in the language learning process.
The survey, which encompassed the responses of over 2,000 adults in the United States, unveiled an overwhelming preference for human interaction among language learners. A staggering 85% of respondents indicated that they believe human interaction is either "very important" or "somewhat important" in new language learning experiences.
Key Findings:
- 85% of respondents consider human interaction essential in language learning.
- 39% of participants favored a combination of human and AI tutors.
- Only 8% of survey respondents believed that human interaction in language learning was "not very important" or "not important at all."
The study also delved into preferences across different age groups and genders. Younger learners, in the 18–24 age group, were particularly inclined towards human tutors, with 35% expressing a preference for human tutors only, as opposed to just 14% who favored AI-only learning. Importantly, respondents of all age groups displayed a preference for a combination of AI and human interaction, with the 45–54 age group showing a strong inclination towards an equal combination of both methods at 49%.
When it comes to the preferred approach to language learning, 39% of survey participants expressed a desire to learn a language with an equal combination of both human and AI tutoring.
Why Human Tutors Remain in Demand:
Despite the growing prevalence of AI in education, the survey results highlight the irreplaceable role of human tutors in the language learning process. Human tutors possess qualities that AI cannot fully replicate, such as the ability to empathize with students, identify when they are facing difficulties, and adapt their teaching methods accordingly. They provide students with a full immersion experience in the language and prepare them for real-world interactions.
While AI technology offers valuable support and enhances language learning, human teachers bring empathy, cultural insights, and interpersonal connections that are challenging for AI to fully replicate. The ideal language learning experience, as indicated by the survey, often involves a blended approach, where AI complements the efforts of human teachers. This combination provides students with a well-rounded and highly effective language learning experience.
In an era where technology is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the survey unequivocally affirms the enduring importance of human interaction in language education.
For more details and to access the full report, please visit Lingoda’s survey and research page.
ABOUT LINGODA
Lingoda is one of the top online language schools. Founded in Berlin, Germany in 2013, we provide convenient and accessible online language courses in German, English, Business English, French and Spanish to over 100,000 students worldwide. Visit Lingoda.com to learn more.
Contact Information:Susanne Börensen
International PR Manager
press@lingoda.com
Original Source: Survey Reveals Language Learner Preferences: Human Instructors vs. AI – Lingoda's Findings
