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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New National Survey Reveals Teens Are Not Financially Ready for Future
National Survey Reveals Teens Are Not Financially Prepared for Future
A new survey by Wired Research and Jazmarc Services reveals that parents do not believe their teens understand personal finances, are smart with their money, or will make smart financial decisions in the future.
NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Teens are ready to start enjoying their summer vacation, and that means that most parents will be footing the bill for their kids’ fun-filled activities. But before they reach for their wallets, parents might want to consider taking this opportunity to teach their teens about financial management. According to a new national survey[1], when it comes to understanding finances, teens need all the help they can get.
Data from the study conducted by global research company Wired Research and commissioned by Jazmarc Services, which reached more than 1,000 U.S. parents of teens ages 14-18, highlights that teens are anything but financially prepared to navigate their future. In fact, if they had to rate their teens’ financial preparedness, only 18% of parents think their teens are extremely prepared.
The new survey results are part of the inaugural 2024 Teen Financial Readiness Report, a deep dive into how financially prepared today’s teens really are. Key takeaways include:
- Parents believe their child’s financial know-how should start at home:
- 98% feel responsible for teaching their teens about managing their finances
- 97% think one of the greatest gifts they can give their teens is the tools to make smart financial decisions
- Parents doubt their teens; financial preparedness:
- 7 in 10 (70%) aren’t extremely confident their teens understand personal finances
- 2 in 3 (63%) aren’t completely convinced that as their teens get older they’ll make smart financial decisions
- Financial conversations aren’t a focal point: A majority of parents have not had a conversation about:
- Selecting insurance to protect their financial future (83%)
- Investing money (67%)
- Financially planning for unexpected life events (62%)
According to Danielle Sherman, founder and CEO of Wired Research, “This research comes at a time when states across the country are making personal finance coursework a critical part of high-school graduation requirements and our research validates why this is so important.”
Joshua Marcus, founder of Jazmarc Services, agrees. He says, “The research highlights just how financially underprepared teens are to enter adulthood. The data clearly underscores that there is still so much parents want to teach their teens so they will be ready to face whatever financial challenges come their way.”
For more information about the research and to get a copy of the 2024 Teen Financial Readiness Report, visit Jazmarc Services at www.jazmarcllc.com where you can create an account and download it. Alternatively, reach out to Wired Research at info@wiredresearch.com.
[1] An online survey conducted by Wired Research in April 2024 among 1,024 U.S. parents of teens
Contact Information:Danielle Sherman
Founder & CEO
danielle.sherman@wiredresearch.com
718.490.6012
Original Source: New National Survey Reveals Teens Are Not Financially Ready for Future
