This Insider arrives on the day of an important Gratz College program: Dr. Steven Cohen's presentation on the Pew Report's recent survey, "A Portrait of Jewish Americans," which found that 22% of Jewish Americans consider themselves as having no religious affiliation. The report has triggered much debate and many questions about what the Jewish community should do to address these findings. We organized tonight's program to begin a discussion of the policy implications of the Pew Study in our community.

 

Hava Nagila (The Movie), a film receiving rave reviews across the country. Gratz is also a sponsor of an upcoming Hanukkah concert by the hit Jewish a cappella group Six13. In addition, a renowned expert is scheduled to present a fascinating lecture at Gratz on clothing and stereotypes in American Jewish history.  

 

sufganiot and a Thanksgiving alternative for non-turkey eaters. To mark the simultaneous celebration of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, we also offer the insightful reflections of Gratz professor Rabbi Marsha Friedman.  

 

As we usher in these two holidays, which revolve around gratitude, we thank you - our community, students, faculty, staff and Board - for your support of Gratz College. Happy holidays to all!       

With its clever title, this upcoming Gratz program is worth attending on name alone - but it offers much more. On Thursday, December 12th, Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz, a respected expert on American Jewish culture, will explore the messages conveyed, the stereotypes created and the societal attitudes reflected through clothing over different periods in American Jewish history. Dr. Schwartz is the Irving Lehrman Research Associate Professor of American Jewish History at The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), where she is also dean of both the undergraduate and graduate schools. Read more about Dr. Schwartz and the exciting program that she will present at Gratz.

Like a proud father, Dr. Saul Wachs announced with satisfaction that one of his doctoral students, Shelley Alexander, had authored the lead article in the current issue of the Journal of Jewish Education, the leading periodical in the field of Jewish education. Directed by Dr. Wachs and coordinated by Dr. Joshua Gutoff, the Gratz doctoral program in Jewish education (Ed.D.) is one of only six such programs in North America. Over the last year, we have featured some of the students in this program because of their interesting backgrounds or impressive accomplishments. In this issue, we profile Shelley Alexander, a woman with a fascinating family history, who is making significant inroads in the field of Jewish early childhood education. Read more.

Dr. Ruth Sandberg Puts Jewish-Christian Studies into Practice with a Transformative Trip to Saint Joseph's University  

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