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
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Physicians for Informed Consent States, ‘Chicken Pox (Varicella) Vaccine Has Not Been Proven Safer Than Chicken Pox’
Chicken Pox Infection vs. Varicella Vaccine
Death and Permanent Injury Risk Comparison for Children in the U.S.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., October 27, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC) has introduced two new educational documents, “Varicella (Chicken Pox): What Parents Need to Know” and “Varicella Vaccine: Is It Safer Than Chicken Pox?” The educational materials include key scientific data on the risks of chicken pox as well as the risks of the varicella vaccine, assisting parents in making a more informed risk-benefit calculation for vaccination.
“Now, more than ever, parents are motivated to learn more about the risks of childhood infections and their respective vaccines — and they want to know the numbers,” said Dr. Shira Miller, founder and president of Physicians for Informed Consent. "Although many parents remember from experience that chicken pox is generally benign, as the chicken pox vaccine is required for childcare and school attendance in all states, and with no religious or personal belief exemption in five states, including California, we’re pleased to now make available for free a Disease Information Statement and Vaccine Risk Statement for chicken pox."
Important facts from the Varicella (Chicken Pox) Disease Information Statement (DIS) are as follows:
- More than 96% of new varicella infections are benign (1) and not reported to public health departments.
- Fatal cases of varicella are rare in the United States. Before the introduction of the varicella vaccination program, one in 40,000 or 0.003% of varicella cases were fatal.
- Because varicella resolves on its own in almost all cases, usually only rest and hydration are necessary.
- Immune globulin is available to treat immunocompromised patients who are exposed to chicken pox, such as those on chemotherapy.
Key facts from the Varicella (Chicken Pox) Vaccine Risk Statement (VRS) are as follows:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “It is not known how long a vaccinated person is protected against varicella.”
- The Institute of Medicine has not ruled out the possibility that varicella vaccination can lead to stroke as well as several neurological and autoimmune disorders, including encephalopathy, cerebellar ataxia, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, small fiber neuropathy, arthropathy, and thrombocytopenia.
- A study published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal shows the varicella vaccine may cause permanent injury 44 times more often than fatal varicella.
- The chicken pox (varicella) vaccine has not been proven safer than chicken pox.
To safeguard children’s health, parents need access to balanced educational information on infectious diseases and vaccines. PIC makes scientific data freely available through its education program, a growing collection of concise, reader-friendly educational materials that support parents, physicians, and policymakers in calculating the risk-benefit ratio of vaccination. To read the newest DIS and VRS documents on chicken pox and the varicella vaccine, visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org/varicella.
(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemiology and prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases. 13th ed. Hamborsky J, Kroger A, Wolfe S, editors. Washington, D.C.: Public Health Foundation; 2015. 359, Appendix E5. https://physiciansforinformedconsent.org/cdc-pink-book-13th-
edition-and-appendix-e-2015-combo; "in the early 1990s, annually there were about 4 million cases, of which about 150,000 (3.75%) were reported."
Greg Glaser
General Counsel
info@picphysicians.org
925-642-6651
Original Source: Physicians for Informed Consent States, 'Chicken Pox (Varicella) Vaccine Has Not Been Proven Safer Than Chicken Pox'
United Airlines and National Aviation Academy Launch Career Pathway Partnership Offering Recruitment Opportunities and More to Aviation Maintenance Students
TAMPA, Fla., October 25, 2023 (Newswire.com) - National Aviation Academy (NAA) and United announced today a partnership to offer aviation maintenance technician students the opportunity to enter a direct pipeline to United through the carrier’s new Calibrate Technician Pathway Program. NAA holds the distinction of being one of the inaugural Part 147 schools certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to collaborate with United on the new program.
“Launching this new program alongside highly regarded institutions whose high-quality training and aviation education will help us to reach our United Next and maintenance technician hiring goals,” said Simone Drakes, Managing Director of Calibrate.
Once accepted into the Calibrate Technician Pathway Program, students must maintain a high GPA and strong attendance record to remain in the hiring pool after graduation. United will host interviews, open houses, and career fairs at NAA.
In partnership with United’s talent acquisition team, students will be invited to apply and interview at the airline’s Tech Ops Recruiting Center in Houston as a final step after completing all necessary certifications on their own. Participants will have priority screening consideration and benefit from United’s large ecosystem, including access to mentorship opportunities with seasoned maintenance technicians and its 42 domestic Technical Operations stations. In the future, the airline plans to expand the program to also include its United Express carriers and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul partners.
Pam Van Sant, NAA’s President, adds, “Industry demand directly reflects the vital importance of aviation maintenance technicians and their work, and the need to establish pathways connecting quality training to these in-demand careers is critical. It’s an honor to partner with United knowing the impact the Calibrate Pathway will have for National Aviation Academy students.”
The Technician Pathway Program is separate from the current Calibrate Apprenticeship Program and focuses on bringing in fully certified new hires. In November of last year, United Airlines, in collaboration with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Federal Aviation Administration, launched Calibrate, an in-house apprenticeship program designed to enhance its pipeline of maintenance technicians. Starting in 2024, United will begin accepting external applications for apprentices, extending the program to its global employee base and external candidates, thereby increasing access to aviation careers.
Over the next 20 years, an estimated 690,000 new aviation maintenance technicians will be needed by commercial fleet operators and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers, as forecasted by Boeing’s 2023 Pilot and Technician Outlook. Career pathways like Calibrate help prospective technicians obtain the requisite training and experience to meet the demand and service the aviation industry.
To learn more about NAA's Aviation Maintenance Technology course and how you can benefit from the Calibrate Technician Pathway Program, visit NAA.edu/United
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Contact Information:Kalynd Kryza
Vice President of Marketing
kkryza@naa.edu
(800) 659-2080
Original Source: United Airlines and National Aviation Academy Launch Career Pathway Partnership Offering Recruitment Opportunities and More to Aviation Maintenance Students
