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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Washington Plastic Surgeon Javad Sajan, MD, Donates to Homeless Women After Successful Mother’s Day Drive at Allure Esthetic
Mother's Day Donations From Allure Esthetic
A photo of a bag of donations from Allure Esthetic's Mother's Day Drive in a bin at Mary's Place in Seattle.
SEATTLE, August 15, 2023 (Newswire.com) - In the lead-up to Mother's Day 2023, Seattle plastic surgeon Dr. Javad Sajan's practice, Allure Esthetic Plastic Surgery, collected donations for mothers experiencing homelessness in the community. This included physical donations in the office and monetary donations directly to the Zera Foundation, the partnering nonprofit organization.
With collection boxes at all three locations, Dr. Sajan offered five free units of Botox to anyone who donated two or more items to the drive. Allure Esthetic frequently works with the 501c3 nonprofit, the Zera Foundation to make a difference in the lives of families in transition and underprivileged populations.
In a video about the fundraiser, Javad Sajan, MD says, "We're so excited to partner with our community to help people who are going through a difficult transition in life." Allure Esthetic also hosts other fundraising events throughout the year such as a Thanksgiving Food Drive and School Supplies Drive.
On July 22nd, Dr. Sajan hand-delivered the donations to Mary's Place, a shelter and organization that supports women and families, in Seattle. The donations consisted of diapers, wipes, and other items necessary for mothers and children of all ages. All donations stay within the community and uplift women and children in need.
About Javad Sajan, MD: Javad Sajan, MD is a plastic surgeon in Seattle, Washington. His practice Allure Esthetic Plastic Surgery provides plastic surgery and life-saving gender affirming surgery to patients from all around the world. Allure Esthetic and Javad Sajan, MD regularly participate in the community through item collection drives and fundraisers that benefit families and children in the Great Seattle area. Find Dr. Sajan, Allure Esthetic, and their community service efforts on Instagram @realdrseattle.
Contact Information:Allure Esthetic
contactus@allureesthetic.com
206-209-0988
Original Source: Washington Plastic Surgeon Javad Sajan, MD, Donates to Homeless Women After Successful Mother's Day Drive at Allure Esthetic
