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
STARZ Premieres Extraordinary Documentary About the NBA’s Transformative 2020 Season ‘Game Change Game’
LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Created by THINK450, Game Change Game, a poignant documentary about the extraordinary 2020 NBA season, which carried on in the face of COVID and a social justice reckoning, is out today for digital release on STARZ, the streaming network dedicated to narratives by, about and for underrepresented audiences.
The monumental film, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival for its theatrical release, is directed by Spike Jordan and Maxime Quoilin with the bi-coastal creative production studio Good Company and created by veteran media leader Christina Norman for THINK450, the partnership and innovation engine of The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
"The creation of this film came from our core mission as an organization to amplify the players and their collective voices," said Que Gaskins, President of THINK450. "As we saw our players come together to stand up for change, we knew we had the unique opportunity to document this powerful moment in time from the players' perspective. Game Change Game is a remarkable film, and we are excited to share it with more viewers this month through our partnership with STARZ."
The film affords viewers privileged access to "The NBA Bubble," the infamous bio-secure hub where the elite athletes carried out the 2020 basketball season during the pandemic shutdown. As it highlights their struggle with unforeseen sacrifice, loss, and their own morality amidst disturbing current events of the time, the documentary displays the players' bonds of fierce brotherhood while they use their platform to demand change.
"Game Change Game really captures all of the emotions that we were experiencing as players and as Black men during that very intense and pivotal time in our society," said CJ McCollum, NBPA President and one of the players featured in the film. "With so many different player perspectives in the film, it is truly a unique expression of our collective experience, and I am honored to be a part of it."
Threading together interviews with more than 40 notable stakeholders, directors Quoilin and Jordan highlight the series of events that led to the creation of the "bubble." They blatantly expose viewers to the waves of police brutality that took place during the same era and how many NBA players decided to take a stand and speak out against injustice - despite the pervasive cultural narrative that sports and athletes are, and should remain, apolitical. The interviewees include athletes like NBPA President CJ McCollum, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, as well as leading activists and artists.
Without the use of a narrator, the co-directors expertly craft a fluid storyline, by weaving, amongst the interviews, vital contextual footage from both the archives and the players themselves, including special family moments.
"The meaning of the film shifted as we lived through one cataclysmic event after another. Shot in real-time, it became a deep race conversation, on top of the already deep COVID conversation," said co-director Quoilin. "Ultimately, we hope that the documentary continues to spur an ongoing dialogue about racism and policing in the US and how we can each do our part to make equity a reality for everyone."
Good Company's impeccable reputation for culturally-relevant work and Quoilin and Jordan's bold visual storytelling style made them the perfect fit for a non-traditional sports documentary. Philadelphia native Jordan is known for his music videos like Nas' "Ultra Black" and Future & Juice WRLD's "WRLD on Drugs," while Belgium-born Quoilin is known for his work on Beyonce's Formation World Tour and the fiery Kanye West video, "Come to Life."
When tapped by THINK450, it was an easy yes for the filmmakers, who are both passionate basketball fans and frequent collaborators with uncanny creative sympatico. Together, the pair have previously collaborated on a variety of music videos, including Gunna's "Dollaz On My Head" and Meek Mill's "Believe."
"Max and I have this chemistry; we're on the same wavelength. During the shooting, I would turn to say something, and it was like Max already knew what I was going to say. We had the same intuition about what was needed on-screen," said Jordan.
One of the first shoots to go remote during the pandemic, Game Change Game was filmed in two phases. At first, the co-directors utilized a robust remote filming technology inspired by Errol Morris's Interrotron, which allowed up-close, face-to-face interviews with the players living in the bubble. Once the season ended and COVID restrictions eased to some extent, the directors filmed additional in-person interviews and incorporated a wealth of contextual footage.
Good Company had a hand in every aspect of the film's production. Despite unimaginable flux and emotion, they tirelessly documented the uncommon NBA season as well as spent an additional year honing the story's look and feel in post-production.
"After living through that intense, paradigm-shifting time, and now, coming out the other side of it with this release feels almost cathartic. We could've never expected the journey the world would go through, but it was all hands on deck for this project from the get-go," commented Producer Jonathan Lia, Good Company's Co-Founder. "I hope this beautiful portrait of the NBA's journey will remind viewers of the power of our collective voices and the strength and healing that can be found when we lean on each other."
The documentary can be found on STARZ across all platforms, including in their Juneteenth programming and throughout the month on STARZ linear channels.
Watch the trailer for Game Change Game on STARZ.
About the NPBA:
The National Basketball Players Association is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA's mission is to protect and support the rights and talents of our players, magnify the power of their collective will, and amplify their voices as leaders who will transcend sport and society globally.
The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including through the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, and counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities. Business opportunities are generated by THINK450, the subsidiary of the NBPA charged with managing the players' group licensing rights.
Dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members, the NBPA Foundation provides support and assistance to persons, communities, and organizations around the world that seek to improve the lives of those in need.
About Good Company:
Good Company is a bi-coastal creative production studio that develops and produces content and experiences at the intersection of art, music and cinema. They are behind some of the most iconic music videos and films of our time, including Beyonce's Lemonade. They also produce award-winning ad campaigns for brands like Meta and Nike and create breathtaking live performance visuals for artists such as Adele, Pharrell and Miley Cyrus.
Contact Information:Olia Ougrik
Raconteur LA Partner / Director of Public Relations
olia@raconteur.la
Crystal B. Williams
STARZ Executive Director, Corporate and Brand Communications
crystal.williams@starz.com
Related Images
Original Source: STARZ Premieres Extraordinary Documentary About the NBA's Transformative 2020 Season 'Game Change Game'
