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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Rivers are Life Unveils Global Results of Inaugural ‘State of Rivers Around the World’ Survey
MIDLAND, Mich., December 12, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Today, Rivers are Life, a collective voice for global river ecosystems, reveals the multinational, multicultural, and cross-generational results for the “State of Rivers Around the World" survey. The global survey gathered insights from 6,645 people throughout 14 countries and four continents, including North America, South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
These results show that, despite regional and cultural differences, people around the world agree that climate health and rivers are inseparable and vitally important. 91% of people around the world believe that climate change needs to be acted on in 2024, and nine in ten report that rivers are important to climate change mitigation. Moreover, 80% globally agree that rivers have an impact on their lives.
Despite 81% of people considering rivers to be a vital part of the food system - and 94% agreeing that rivers are important to agriculture - the majority of people around the world would not eat a fish out of their local river.
“What’s most shocking about this data is that we found something that more than 90 percent of the world agrees on: climate change needs to be addressed, and rivers play a vital role in mitigating those issues,” said Katie Horning, BeAlive, Head of Rivers are Life Brand. “Despite that alignment, there are still gaps in knowledge about rivers, and how people can take action to make a difference.”
Greater Education Is Needed
Across findings, respondents agreed that there is a need for greater education around the environment, river systems and how they can help. 98% of people around the world would like to know more about environmental issues.
Importantly, 74% of participants believe more public awareness will improve the health of rivers, and 63% say lack of attention to the issue is a major obstacle to reducing water pollution.
“Education is a key component to addressing issues like river pollution, and we at LSU contribute both academic expertise and on-the-ground support to Rivers are Life,” said Clint Willson, Interim Dean of LSU’s College of the Coast & Environment and Director of the LSU Center for River Studies. The Center for River Studies is an academic partner to Rivers are Life. “LSU’s commitment to this research signifies the importance of educating and encouraging younger generations globally to advocate for the vitality of waterways.”
Around the world, and across generations, there are a few key differentiators about what individuals want to learn and how they take action:
- People in South America and Asia (69%) are twice as likely to be interested in learning about environmental issues facing rivers than those in North America and Europe (30%).
- Globally, Gen Z (56%) and Millennials (57%) are much more interested in learning about environmental issues than the Baby Boomers (33%).
- Limiting pollution in rivers is a higher concern for people in South America and Asia (80%) when compared to North America and Europe (68%).
- When asked to rank who was most responsible for polluting rivers, people in Asia (42%) and those in South America (36%) felt that individuals were most at fault, while those in North America (41%) and Europe (42%) were most likely to select corporations.
- In terms of taking action, 75% of individuals from Asia have helped to clean their local river, compared to only 46% in South America, 27% in North America and just 18% in Europe.
And More Urgent Action Is Required
While most survey respondents agree that some action is required, the findings show differing responses when it comes to how this problem is addressed:
- 76% believe that human behavior is the biggest obstacle to reducing water pollution;
- 50% believe no one is protecting their local rivers;
- With only 10% of participants strongly agreeing that their countries’ leaders care about the health of rivers;
- 72% of people around the world would like stricter policies or more regulation to curb river pollution;
- 88% believe there should be stronger legislation to prevent sewage drainage into rivers;
- And 57% have little to no personal knowledge on how to clean up their local rivers
Despite these concerns, respondents shared a sense of hopefulness, and willingness to help, when it comes to cleaning these vital waterways. Fifty-nine percent of people around the world are planning to take action to help clean their rivers in 2024, they just need help getting started.
Rivers are Life is the ideal platform that can provide education and solutions for those looking to get involved in addressing the issue and protecting our rivers. It aims to inspire people to protect, preserve, and explore our world’s rivers.
Visit RiversareLife.com to subscribe to their e-newsletter, hear from River Heroes impacting community-based change around the world, and follow on social media to learn more. For full survey results, visit www.RiversareLife.com/State-of-rivers-around-the-world.
METHODOLOGY:
Conducted by SAVANTA, a market research consultancy. Dates of fielding: October 3, 2023, to October 18, 2023. This survey was conducted in: U.S., Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), South America (Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru), and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand).
The sample populations were: U.S. (n=1,590), Europe (n=1,925), South America (n=1,487), and SE Asia (n=1,643). The survey was in an online format and was conducted in English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese (BR), Italian, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian.
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 Unveils Global Results of Inaugural 'State of Rivers Around the World' Survey
