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
Longtime Seahawk KJ Wright Teams Up With Champions of Change as ‘Champion Ambassador’, Bringing the Work of The Wright Way Foundation Into the Fold
SEATTLE, April 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Champions of Change, led by Doug Baldwin, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, proudly announces the inclusion of NFL luminary KJ Wright as a Champion Ambassador. Wright aligns perfectly with the philanthropic activism of his former teammates, aiming to further enhance their work to support community resilience and empowerment.
As the first member of the Super Bowl team to join the Seahawks, and as a player who raised his family in and embraced the Seattle region, KJ Wright remains dedicated to local community work. “The next chapter of my career is taking me away from the Northwest, but this will always be home to us,” said Wright, “I am committed to supporting programs around Seattle, especially in partnership with my brothers. We are forever bonded to each other, and to Seattle.” Incorporating the work of The Wright Way Foundation will bolster Champions of Change’s contributions toward enhancing education and empowering disadvantaged communities. To this end, Wright brings the mission of The Wright Way Foundation into the collaboration, focusing on financial literacy and support for underserved student-athletes.
Since launching his foundation last year, Wright has personally partnered with financial institutions to provide youth with essential financial management skills, such as budgeting, saving, and investing. In addition, the foundation supports student-athletes with scholarships and mentorships to foster success on and off the playing field.
“KJ is a champion in every sense of the word,” commented Doug Baldwin, co-founder of Champions of Change, “As a champion husband, father and teammate, he brings a thoughtful approach to making a positive difference in our communities. We are grateful to add his tenacity and creativity to our collective work.”
The primary fundraising events for Champions of Change are a gala and charity basketball game, which will be hosted on June 27th and 28th, respectively. Tickets for the all-star basketball game are available on Ticketmaster, starting today, April 10th. For more information on the Champions of Change Foundation, its benefiting partners and how to engage, please visit championsofchangefoundation.org.
About the Champions of Change Foundation
The Champions of Change Foundation commits to empowering communities and investing in genuine change for those in need. It upholds principles of equality, education, and empowerment, focusing on underserved regions. Supported by its Champion Ambassadors, the foundation advocates for unity, teamwork, and the conviction in a community's capacity to cultivate its resilience and empowerment. The Champions of Change philanthropic approach extends beyond financial assistance, emphasizing strategic partnerships and knowledge sharing to promote self-reliance and systemic change within communities.
Contact Information:
Bookie Gates
Executive Director, Champions of Change
bookie@championsofchangefoundation.org
206-769-4632
championsofchangefoundation.org
Contact Information:Bookie Gates
Executive Director, Champions of Change
bookie@championsofchangefoundation.org
206-769-4632
Original Source: Longtime Seahawk KJ Wright Teams Up With Champions of Change as 'Champion Ambassador', Bringing the Work of The Wright Way Foundation Into the Fold
