Gratz College of Jenkintown launched a doctoral program in antisemitism studies this summer, and school officials are saying the degree is the world’s first.

Lori Cohen, director of marketing, told Glenside Local that a Doctor of Antisemitism Studies will join the Doctor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, the Executive PhD in Jewish Studies.

From their description:

The Ph.D. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies is the only program of its kind in the world and is geared towards students who have graduate degrees in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, history, or another related discipline. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program is designed for current and aspiring pre-K-12 leaders, higher education administrators, curriculum specialists and executive directors. The Ph.D. in Jewish Studies is designed for those students who already have a strong academic background in the field and wish to build upon that with advanced research to provide intellectual leadership for the contemporary Jewish community. The interdisciplinary doctoral degree in Antisemitism Studies prepares students for successful careers in Jewish community organizations, education, advocacy, government relations, and public policy.

More information about each can be found on the college’s website.

In August 2024, the college announced that Dr. Brendan Goldman would assume leadership of Gratz’s Jewish studies programs, including the launch of the Executive Ph.D. in Jewish Studies. That fall, the school started a master’s degree program in antisemitism studies, which officials said is the first of its kind in the United States.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ayal Feinberg, director of Gratz’s Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights and an associate professor of political science and antisemitism studies, said the need for the programs has never been greater due to a rise in antisemitism.

“People long assumed that the Jewish studies discipline would be focused on issues related to antisemitism,” he told the Inquirer. “But in reality, Jewish studies as a discipline focuses on almost every other subject but antisemitism. That’s because of a concept known as ‘American Jewish exceptionalism’. The idea is that the Jewish experience in the United States has been so much more positive than in other diaspora communities. As a result, Jewish contributions to politics, education, culture, and society have been emphasized, and Jewish studies in America has largely focused on celebrating that, unfortunately at the expense of a necessary expertise in antisemitism.”

In March, officials told Glenside Local that the school was planning to depart the Mandel Education Campus in Melrose Park (7605 Old York Road) and lease office space located at 315 York Road in Jenkintown. While staff continue to work in Jenkintown, construction on Gratz’s Bala Cynwyd campus will begin in October and will be completed in 2026. During that period, Gratz will continue selected operations in Bala Cynwyd.

The school had an enrollment of 488 students in 2024-25 and just over half of those students are not Jewish, Cohen told the Inquirer. The master’s and doctoral programs in antisemitism studies enroll about 35 students.

You can listen to students’ reviews of the programs below:

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Photos: Gratz College