Gratz College Insider
September 2016
In This Issue
Gratz Receives Platinum Guidstar Rating!
Gratz College is proud to have earned the
Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world's largest source of nonprofit information.
Arnold and Esther Tuzman Holocaust Teach-In
Keynote Speaker
Deborah Lipstadt Holocaust Denial: History on Trial

November 13, 2016
1:30 pm
CLE and teaching credits available
Movies@Gratz


A film about family secrets, denial and the power of telling the truth. 
Film and discussion with producer and director 
Lacey Schwartz
Saturday, 12/3/2016, 7:00pm
Sunday, 12/4/2016, 2:00pm
(Film only)
Gratz Advance

Learn about exciting NEW initiatives for high school students:

Faculty Update
Learn more about new partnerships, publications and upcoming lectures by Gratz College faculty.

Dr. Joseph Davis
Dr. Ruth Sandberg
Dr. Michael Steinlauf
Staff Update
 
Gratz College welcomes
Lori Cohen as interim director of Adult Jewish Learning. Read more.
Contact Us
215-635-7300

Dear Friends,

With the approach of Rosh Hashanah, Jews all over the world are preparing to welcome the New Year. Sadly, we will enter the year 5777 having lost a giant of Israeli history and politics: Shimon Peres, a remarkable figure, whose loss is felt well beyond Israel's borders.

In this issue of The Insider, we offer some New Year's gifts to our readers. Dina Maiben, assistant director of Gratz Advance, introduces the joyful Sephardic and Mizrahi tradition of the Rosh Hashanah seder. Prof. Saul Wachs offers a reflective piece on introspection and change. And just to sweeten the selection of articles, like a honey-drenched apple, we share with you a heart-warming alumni story.

As you enjoy these and other features in this newsletter, we at Gratz wish you a year filled with health and happiness, peace and success in all you do.

Shanah tovah,
Joy's signature


Joy W. Goldstein
President
Welcoming the High Holidays with Spiritual Commentary by Prof. Saul Wachs
Prof. Saul Wachs
In any list of Judaism's contributions to the marketplace of ideas, the Jewish concept of teshuvah is particularly relevant to the arrival of the High Holidays. Simply stated. teshuvah is the idea that people can change. Read more. 
Alumni Spotlight on Randi Cohen: A Family's Story Begins at Gratz
Randi Cohen, Michele Susson, Ellen Greenberg and Bonnie Cooper
Randi Cohen is a volunteer at the Holocaust Oral History Archive in the Gratz College library. But Cohen's ties to Gratz go way back, predating the archive itself, and spanning four generations to a fortuitous meeting between two special people. Read more.

The Gratz Gourmet
Photo by sufeco.
There's nothing like sharing a meal with family and friends to celebrate the New Year. But what if, in addition to brisket, kugel or whatever else graces your Rosh Hashanah table, your celebration also included a series of food-related puns? Our own Dina Maiben explains and also provides an irresistible recipe for pomegranate glaze. Read more. 

Fighting BDS Through State Law
In August, New Jersey became the 11th state to enact legislation countering the type of discriminatory economic policies promoted by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement against Israel. Read more about this national trend, an unlikely opponent and the constitutional arguments for and against this type of legislation.

Student Spotlight on Gratz Midcareer Fellow Elana Gootson
Elana Gootson
Fifteen years agao, dazed and shaken, Elana Gootson left her apartment, located four blocks from the World Trade Center. Shielding her face from the cloud of white dust swirling around her, she was lost in the horror of 9/11. It was a day that changed her life, and the lives of so many others, forever. Read more.
Meet Our Board of Governors: David Gordon
David Gordon
As recently featured in an article in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice, the Gratz College Board of Governors has had an influx of new members over the last year. In The Insider, we will introduce you to each of these talented individuals, who are committed to helping shape Gratz's future. In this issue, meet David Gordon.

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