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
Whittier Street Health Center’s 24th Annual Men’s Health Summit a Triumph
Men's Health Honorees
William Watkins, Rev. John Finley, David Morales, Leverett Wing, Frederica M Williams, Jean Prezeau
BOSTON, July 14, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Whittier Street Health Center, a community health center with a mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high quality and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population, is thrilled to announce that its 24th Annual Men's Health Summit held June 24 at the Frederica M. Williams Building, 1290 Tremont Street, Roxbury, was a tremendous success with an estimated 150 community leaders and residents in attendance.
The theme at this year's summit, "UNITED for Men's Health: Grounded in Equity," prompted open and engaging discussion on how, across the country, gaps and disparities in health care continue to increase and persist.
The annual event included a health fair, health screenings, and a panel discussion and conversation about men's health and wellness. A highlight of the Summit was the presentation of this year's Men's Health Champion Awards to the following:
- Mr. Wilner Auguste, founder, Haitian American United (HAU), Mattapan;
- Rev. John Finley, co-founder and head of Epiphany School, Dorchester;
- Rev. Art Gordon, pastor, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Roxbury;
- Mr. David Morales, general manager, UniCare, Lynn (formerly of Lynnfield);
- Mr. Jean Prezeau, men's health ambassador, Whitter Street Health Center, Roxbury;
- Mr. William Watkins, MBA, vice president of digital strategies and partnerships, Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, Roxbury; and
- Mr. Leverett Wing, president and CEO, Commonwealth Seminar, Chelsea and Boston.
Serving as guest speaker was NBC10 News Anchor Glenn Jones.
The Annual Men's Health Summit aligns with Whittier Street Health Center's mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high-quality, and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of our diverse populations.
"Open, honest, and genuine discussions were once again a high point of this year's Men's Health Summit," said Frederica M. Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center. "This important annual event aims to shine a light on and help to address preventable causes that contribute to increased morbidity and mortality rates, and decreased life expectancy for men, and in particular those of color."
About Whittier Street Health Center
Whittier Street Health Center is an independently licensed community health care center with a mission of providing high-quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare for diverse populations while promoting wellness and eliminating health and social disparities. A champion of equitable access to high-quality, patient-focused care, social justice and economic equity, Whittier Street Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients and 20,000 community outreach visits annually; its ethnically and racially diverse patient base is primarily made up of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and greater Boston. For more information, please visit www.wshc.org as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/WhittierStreetHealthCenter), Twitter (@Whittier_Boston), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whittier-street-health-center), or call 617-989-3221.
Contact Information:Nicole Hales
President, PRfirst
nhales@prfirst.com
617-947-7983
Frederica Williams
President & CEO
events@wshc.org
617-989-3221
Original Source: Whittier Street Health Center's 24th Annual Men's Health Summit a Triumph
