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
Rivers are Life Premieres ‘Life Afloat’
MIDLAND, Mich., February 2, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Today, Rivers are Life proudly unveils the latest film "Life Afloat" which follows local River Hero, Sarin Roeun, and his passionate conservation efforts on Tonlé Sap Lake in Cambodia. Living in "floating villages" on the lake, just downstream from the Mekong River, the local fishing community works tirelessly to catch fish that provide 60% of Cambodia's protein intake. Local River Heroes have noticed that due to an increase in pollution, the health of the fish population that make their way down the river and into the lake is declining. With roughly six million Cambodians relying on this watershed for food, local residents are working on solutions to control the waste problem and preserve the ecosystem on which they depend.
Sarin Roeun was born and raised right on Tonlé Sap Lake, learning to fish with his father from a young age. As he continued fishing to provide for his family, Sarin noticed a dramatic change that could potentially affect his livelihood, an increase in trash floating down the river, and a decrease in baby fish. In an effort to change this, Sarin works closely with another River Heroe, Sophal Sea, to recruit "eco-warriors" from each village who focus on cleaning up and restoring the lake. Tonlé Sap, also referred to as the lifeblood of Cambodia's economy, connects five different provinces in Cambodia, leading to around half of the population relying solely on fishing to live.
Sophal Sea co-founded NGO² BambooShoot Foundation in honor of his sister, which plays a crucial part in educating the community and empowering locals at a grassroots level to take action against the influx of plastic waste in the region. Sophal and his organization have remained fully committed to protecting Tonlé Sap since 2018, through education, awareness and solutions for those that call the lake home.
"I try to unite all the stakeholders in each community because sometimes they don't take action because they don't know how to talk together and work together," said Sophal Sea. "I organized and convinced the monks and also the fisherman to start a tree cleanup to get waste out of the vegetation and mangroves when the water recedes."
Sophal and other local River Heroes continue to work to advocate for the importance of proper waste collection and removal systems, creating healthier waterways for all to benefit. "Life Afloat" inspires conservationists and others from across the globe to support clean waterways both in their local communities, as well as in impoverished communities such as Cambodia, who rely heavily on clean water systems.
"Life Afloat" premieres February 2, 2024
Watch "Life Afloat" here.
Contact Information:Katie Horning
Head of Brand, Rivers are Life Brand Division, BeAlive Inc.
khorning@gobealive.com
989-491-1019
Original Source: Rivers are Life Premieres 'Life Afloat'
