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
ESPN to Air Women’s and Men’s Finals for United States Polo Association’s National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 18, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Representing the top-rated intercollegiate polo programs in the country, the 2023 Division I Women's and Men's National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) Finals were played on Saturday, April 15, with Texas A&M University winning the Women's Division and the University of North Texas bringing home the victory for the Men's Division. The Women's and Men's Finals will air on Sunday, April 23, at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPNU. Check your local listings or click HERE for air times and channels.
U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), proudly outfitted 49 collegiate polo teams, of which 11 teams qualified to compete in the United States Polo Association's Division I National Intercollegiate Championships. The final contenders in the Women's Division included Texas A&M University, University of Virginia, University of Kentucky, Southern Methodist University, Cornell University, and University of South Carolina-Aiken, and the final contenders in the Men's Division included the University of North Texas, University of Virginia, Texas A&M University, Cornell University, and Southern Methodist University. The 101st Annual Event was held at the Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, VA.
The most celebrated tournament for Division I Collegiate Polo in the United States included support from U.S. Polo Assn.'s nationwide Collegiate Partnership Program (CPP), available to all colleges and universities with a USPA-sanctioned collegiate polo team. Through the CPP, U.S. Polo Assn. provided student-athletes from a total of 30 colleges with complete game attire throughout the official 2022-2023 polo season. This is the fifth consecutive year for this program, where teams range from East to West Coast and include small private and large public institutions, as well as Ivy League and Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs).
The 2023 USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Program is dedicated to growing the sport of polo through future generations in the United States. For the second year in a row, the Women's and Men's Finals will be aired on ESPNU as an extension of the historic relationship with ESPN, which highlights the student-athletes and the sport of polo on a collegiate level.
"U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to once again support the National Intercollegiate Championship through the U.S. Polo Assn. Collegiate Partnership Program and to continue to bring awareness to the 101-year-old National Intercollegiate Program that serves so many student-athletes," said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. "Not to mention, our ability to continue promoting the sport of polo at the collegiate and professional levels to sports fans around the world on ESPN platforms for the first time in the sport's history."
Support from U.S. Polo Assn.'s Collegiate Partnership Program includes customized performance team jerseys, white performance pants, polo shirts, caps, and equipment gear bags as well as a monetary donation for a total of 49 collegiate teams throughout the country. New to this year's polo kit are USPA Pro items, the sports performance product line, which is uniquely designed in collaboration with professional polo players for the highest level of performance on the field.
"The Finals of the NIC represent the end to another great season of collegiate polo, and we are so proud of our student-athletes for their efforts this year. We also want to recognize the horses - our equine athlete partners make it all possible," said Liz Brayboy, Chair of the USPA's Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Committee. "We are incredibly fortunate to have the support of U.S. Polo Assn. for the fifth year in a row. In addition, the exposure our college polo teams receive on ESPN platforms is amazing for both the sport and our players."
In addition, the 2023 Division II Women's and Men's National Intercollegiate Championship Finals were played on Sunday, April 2, with California Polytechnic State University winning the Women's Division and Babson College bringing home the victory for the Men's Division. The final contenders for the Women's Division included University of Connecticut, Oklahoma State University, University of California Davis, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the final contenders for the Men's Division included University of Kentucky, Stanford University, Texas Tech University, and California Polytechnic State University.
The USPA and U.S. Polo Assn. congratulate all 2023 Division I and Division II Women's and Men's National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) participants.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL)
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the non-profit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores and thousands of department stores as well as sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in more than 190 countries worldwide. U.S. Polo Assn. was named one of the top five sports licensors in 2022, according to License Global. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA's intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPAGL also manages Global Polo TV, which provides polo, sport and lifestyle content. A historic, multi-year, global arrangement has been signed by USPAGL and ESPN for the world's leading sports content provider to air seven of the top final polo games in the U.S., allowing millions of sports fans and consumers to enjoy the sport across ESPN's broadcast and streaming platforms. For more sport content, visit globalpolo.com.
About the United States Polo Association® (USPA)
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently comprised of almost 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
###
Additional Photos on Request. Photo Credits: Oana Photo
For Further Information, Contact:
Shannon Stilson - VP, Sports Marketing & Media
Phone +001.561.227.6994 - Email: sstilson@uspagl.com
Stacey Kovalsky - Senior Director, Global Communications
Phone +001.561.790.8036 - Email: skovalsky@uspagl.com
Original Source: ESPN to Air Women's and Men's Finals for United States Polo Association's National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC)
