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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FirstNet, Built With AT&T, Teams With First H.E.L.P. to Support New England First Responders With #ResponderReadiness Training
#ResponderReadiness Small Group Discussions
During #ResponderReadiness workshops First Responders work in small groups to have candid conversations about stress management and resilience building techniques.
WORCESTER, Mass., May 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - First H.E.L.P. and FirstNet®, Built with AT&T, have doubled down on their commitment to provide first responders with world-class mental health training through First H.E.L.P.'s #ResponderReadiness Workshop Series.
During First H.E.L.P.'s four-hour workshops, first responders explore the "3P's" of responder readiness: performance, persistence, and prevention. Through small group discussions, participants examine the impact that operational stress and trauma have on their careers and families, and take a deep dive using scenario-based training to practice difficult conversations about mental health and suicide prevention with friends, family members, and co-workers. First responders also practice resilience skills using First H.E.L.P.'s #RANGEofResilience.
Upcoming #ResponderReadiness workshops scheduled for Concord, NH, and Chicopee, MA:
- 15 May: #ResponderReadiness Workshop in Concord, NH, for the NH Fire Academy and EMS Resource Center.
- 16 May: #ResponderReadiness Workshop and a #RANGEofResilience Instructor for First Responders near Chicopee, MA.
"A combination of organizational, individual, and family readiness is the keystone of an agency's ability to serve their community. In the #ResponderReadiness Workshop, First H.E.L.P. places emphasis on getting far ahead of a potential wellness crisis by developing healthy, positive behaviors that foster an organizational culture that is ready to serve," said Joe Willis, Chief Learning Officer, First H.E.L.P. "While the workshop directly addresses suicide prevention and crisis resource awareness, the primary focus is on resilience and early correction of undesirable behaviors."
First H.E.L.P. tracks first responder suicides throughout the nation. According to data collected by the organization, 86 New England First Responders were known to be lost to suicide since 2017.
AT&T is working to ease the burden for communities by providing this First H.E.L.P. high-quality training to New England first responders at no cost. FirstNet is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America's first responders and the extended public safety community. Shaped by the vision of Congress and the first responder community following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, FirstNet is built with AT&T in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, an independent agency within the federal government.
"AT&T's commitment to our public safety community goes beyond our FirstNet network connectivity," said Dr. Anna Courie, DPN, RN, PHNA-BC, Director, Responder Wellness, FirstNet Program at AT&T. "We are dedicated to working with First H.E.L.P. to bring mental health resources to first responders across the country—especially in rural areas with limited access. This program with First H.E.L.P. will better equip first responders mentally and physically and help our public safety community stay safer."
First H.E.L.P.'s goal for 2023 is to bring its #ResponderReadiness workshop to 1,200 first responders throughout the nation.
"This training will provide important tools that are missing in first responder duty bags," said Christy Lister, a First H.E.L.P. volunteer and co-host of the Beyond the 1st Response podcast. "It is a game changer and will help provide resiliency and normalize conversations about mental well-being."
First H.E.L.P.'s training program reinforces the strategic priorities established by the FirstNet Health and Wellness Coalition (FNHWC) to support first responders and their families. The mission of the FNHWC is to integrate responder, community, industry, and academic capabilities to support the health, wellness, and readiness of American first responders.
The two organizations hope to see this training reach as far into these rural communities as possible. While the training is open to federal, state, and large municipal responders, priority will go to smaller communities.
Visit 1stHELP.org or email Contact@1stHELP.org to learn how to bring this training to your community.
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Contact Information:Joe Willis
Chief Learning Officer
joe@1sthelp.org
573-337-9484
Original Source: FirstNet, Built With AT&T, Teams With First H.E.L.P. to Support New England First Responders With #ResponderReadiness Training
Professor’s Beloved Board Game ‘Personal Preference’ Gets a 21st-Century Makeover Thanks to Dedicated Fans
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., May 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - After three-and-a-half decades, a popular board game, Personal Preference, is getting a major upgrade. The 1988 game, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies and became a favorite of Hollywood celebrities, is finally spawning a new, updated version. Thanks to the efforts of a group of devoted fans and the game's original creator, retired Purdue Professor Don Carlston, players both old and new will be able to enjoy a modern take on this classic favorite.
What's unique about Personal Preference is the expertise that went into its creation and the devotion of its enthusiasts. The original game was based on Professor Carlston's academic research and was created to serve as an icebreaker and help people get to know each other better.
Some cards in the original game became dated and, over the years, countless fans reached out to Carlston with requests for new cards or offers to buy the rights to the game so it could be updated. Eventually, he decided to team up with some of his most persistent fans to make the new edition a reality. This core team was bolstered by a group of 50 diehard devotees who came together over Zoom during the pandemic to play test and evaluate potential topics. "It really was an international team effort," says Carlston, "with volunteers from the U.S. and Canada and even Great Britain. And the result is a version that is even better than the original."
Carlston suggests that the lasting success of Personal Preference is because "most people enjoy hearing others' impressions of their likes and dislikes, and they also enjoy revealing and explaining their true tastes and preferences. These are the things that define who we are, so they are also the best way to get to know and connect with others." Now, as we come out of the isolation of the pandemic, the dedication of a group of devoted Personal Preference fans will give old and new players alike a fun, new way to reconnect with friends and family.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/personalpreference/personal-preference-updated-edition
Contact Information:Don Carlston
CEO, Inventor
personalpreferencegame@gmail.com
7657140256
Original Source: Professor's Beloved Board Game 'Personal Preference' Gets a 21st-Century Makeover Thanks to Dedicated Fans
