Gratz College

06/18/2026

Gratz College held Commencement 👩‍🎓🎓 🎉 for its 126th graduating class in Jenkintown on Sunday, June 14th. With students from around the world, Gratz awarded master’s and doctoral degrees to 106 students.

In full regalia, the students and faculty processed in beautiful pageantry across York Road to the ceremony at the Hiway Theater. Family and friends watched their graduates receive their diplomas either in-person or on a livestream for those across the country and beyond.

“Commencement is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our graduates and honor the hard work and determination that have defined their academic journeys,” remarked Dean Leslie Ginsparg Klein. “We are proud of our students’ accomplishments and excited to see the impact they will make as they carry their knowledge, skills, and values into the future.”

Student speaker and newly minted Doctor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies Leah Dukes described her experiences, “Gratz is more than a program, more than a college. It’s a community. A family. It’s where the phrase “yes, absolutely” is ever present, and students are made to feel as if they can do anything and conquer the world.” She continued, “Being a Gratz student opened a whole series of doors that I believe would have been closed to me otherwise. When I went to job interviews with Gratz on my resume, the interviewers recognized the name and asked me about my coursework. Gratz is respected in every institution in which I have been a part.”

Josh Bergerson Ed.D., recent alumnus and Aviation Academy teacher at Frankford High School offered inspiration to the graduating students. “Class, as you step forward into your next chapters as leaders, directors, policymakers, advocates, and advanced practitioners…I urge you to remember one thing: Our work must be deeply intentional, and the people we serve must always be the priority. Every policy you write, every grant you pursue, and every institutional decision you make must pass a single, uncompromising test: Is this what is absolutely best for the individuals and communities whose lives are impacted by our leadership? We must continually assess what the people we serve truly need and deserve, so that we can equip them to live happy, successful, and meaningful lives.”

We wish our graduates much success as they continue their journeys ahead.

✅ Give today to support tomorrow's leaders. Power Up! Gratz is an opportunity for alumni and friends to make a difference for Gratz students. Every dollar donated will be doubled up to $50,000 helping provide critical scholarships for future Gratz students. Double your gift, double your impact today. https://www.gratz.edu/giving/campaigns/power-up-gratz

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Gilbert Media.



Leslie Ginsparg Klein Zev Eleff Mindy Saifer Cohen Leah Dukes Alison Joseph Lori Cohen Mindy Escourt Blechman Naomi Housman Hope Matles

06/17/2026

We were delighted to find an audio recording from Solomon Grayzel, the very namesake of our Grayzel Digital Platform!

The recording captures a 1961 lecture by historian Solomon Grayzel at Adath Israel Congregation in Trenton, New Jersey. In the surviving portion of the talk, Grayzel uses contemporary Jewish literature—especially works by Philip Roth and Leon Uris—to reflect on the condition of modern Jewish life, the challenges of Jewish identity, and the tensions surrounding Zionism, power, and tradition.

Grayzel argues that uncomfortable literary portrayals of Jewish life should not simply be dismissed, but read as revealing deeper communal concerns, particularly the growing distance of younger Jews from Jewish values and practice. He suggests that the future of Jewish life depends on renewed engagement with foundational Jewish texts and stronger transmission of tradition to the next generation

Thank you to Adath Israel Congregation for permission to publish the recording on the Grayzel Digital Platform.

🔊 Listen to the full recording of Books, Bible, and Modern Man:
https://grayzel.gratz.edu/solgrayzel/books-bible-and-modern-man

The room in the photo below is most likely where Solomon Grayzel gave this lecture in 1961.

Alison Joseph

This recording captures a 1961 lecture by historian and editor Solomon Grayzel at Adath Israel Congregation in Trenton, New Jersey. In the surviving portion of the talk, Grayzel uses contemporary Jewish literature—especially works by Philip Roth and Leon Uris—to reflect on the condition of moder...

06/15/2026

We had a blast at Commencement on Sunday, June 14th! 🎓 Here's a teaser of our walk to the The Hiway Theater. Many more photos to come!

Thank you for this video, Alyssa Cipriano. 👏

06/12/2026

It's Commencement Central at Gratz! We are gearing up for the graduation of our 126th class. 🎓 🎉

06/11/2026

Today, on the Yahrzeit of Elie Wiesel, we remember a witness whose voice transformed memory into moral vigilance.

Born in Sighet, Romania, on September 30, 1928, he was the son of Sarah and Schlomo Wiesel, brother to Beatrice, Hilda, and Tzipora, husband of Marion, father of Elisha, and later a grandfather. He became a writer, professor, Nobel laureate, and one of the world's most powerful advocates against genocide, hatred, and indifference.

A survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Wiesel devoted his life not only to preserving the history of the Holocaust, but to challenging indifference wherever human dignity was threatened. He believed that stories carry memory across generations. By sharing his own experiences and amplifying the voices of others, he helped ensure that victims of hatred would not be forgotten.

On this day of remembrance, may his memory continue to inspire us to confront injustice and to choose knowledge and compassionate action over indifference.

May the memory of Elie Wiesel be a blessing.

Learn more about his work and writings on the Grayzel Digital Platform: https://grayzel.gratz.edu/wiesel-digital-archive

The Elie Wiesel Foundation

A digital library dedicated to the life’s work of Elie Wiesel (1928–2016): Nobel laureate, author of Night, and one of the most important human rights leaders in modern world history.

06/10/2026

What works to combat antisemitism? We spent an afternoon with our Director of the Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights Ayal Feinberg in our Jenkintown space. He spoke about the importance of designing and using robust measurement tools to understand and isolate EXACTLY what we're trying to fix.

Two of our current antisemitism studies students: Liz Berger and Barbara Rosenau spoke to the audience about their experiences in the program.

In the video below, Liz discusses her UNESCO fellowship working in Australia following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. How does antisemitism function both locally and globally? Why don't we understand it better?

Photo below, left to right: Barbara Rosenau, Ayal Feinberg, Liz Berger 👏

06/04/2026

On Tuesday, June 2, Gratz held the 51st annual Mordechai Anielewicz Holocaust Creative Arts Competition Awards Ceremony. 👏 Seventeen schools in the Philadelphia area participated with 156 submissions across 🎨 visual arts, 💃 performances, and 📝 written entries! The Teletorium at Saint Joseph's University was filled with raucous applause by the proud families and friends of these talented, thoughtful students receiving their awards.

Thank you to Maureen Pelta for your guidance and support as the Chair of the Competition every year! We offer our greatest gratitude and appreciation to Kaitlyn Arms, the Education Initiatives Manager at Gratz. She seamlessly pulled together the entire competition, from beginning to end—an organizational masterpiece.

Our judges consistently remarked that they were amazed by the level of skill and thought that went into each of the submissions. Thank you to: Josey Fisher, Diana Myers, Paulette Jellinek, Dr. Laura Fattal, Violet Pollack Zeitlin, Alyssa Davidson-Arms, Lou Walinsky, Beth Klemow Razin, Jessica Kahn, Laura Kuhn, Terry Leban, Sophie Don, David Copestakes, Paula Dvorak, Marlene Adler, Tammy Forstater, Robin Nourie, Jacob Dupré, and Elaine Culbertson.

Special thanks go to Paula and Michael Dvorak for establishing the "Nature in the Context of the Holocaust" Prize Fund and to Nina Gordon and Lou Walinsky for providing copies of “They Forgot to Tell Me I Was Jewish” by Les Horan for Honorable Mention award recipients.

Thank you to all of the participating students, their cheerleader teachers and schools:

Abington Senior High School
Penncrest High School
Solebury School
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Lenape Middle School
Unami Middle School
Cecelia Snyder Middle School
Holicong Middle School
Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School
G. A. Stetson Middle School
Central Bucks High School East
Harriton High School
Lower Merion Middle Schools
Benchmark School
Caskey Torah Academy
Padua Academy
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy

If you would like to include your school or student in next year's Arts Competition, please contact Kaitlyn Arms at [email protected].

Kudos to all of the students! 🎉 💐
📸 Jonathan Gilbert

06/04/2026

Join us in Jenkintown on June 9th to learn about Gratz's world-leading graduate programs in Antisemitism Studies.

This lunch program asks the question: When it comes to combating antisemitism, what actually works? We'll look at why some common approaches fall short and why we need a more rigorous, evidence-based approach to understanding and reducing antisemitism. We’ll share examples of how Gratz is already training scholars, practitioners, and communal leaders to move beyond instinct and symbolism toward practical, proven strategies.

Are you a local Gratz graduate student in our Antisemitism Studies program? Come out to share what you're learning with our community. They would love to hear from you directly!

Explore evidence-based strategies for combating antisemitism in this Lunch & Learn with Dr. Ayal Feinberg at Gratz College.

06/03/2026

Let's highlight the Rebecca Gratz letters on our Grayzel Digital Platform:

In “Rediscovering Rebecca Gratz,” historian Jeremy D. Popkin, Professor Emeritus at the University of Kentucky and biographer of Gratz’s brother, Benjamin Gratz, draws on newly uncovered family letters to offer fresh insights into Rebecca Gratz's educational and philanthropic legacy. The article also honors the work of the late Dianne Ashton, one of the foremost scholars of Rebecca Gratz and author of the landmark biography Rebecca Gratz: Women and Judaism in Antebellum America. Ashton worked closely with Gratz College to develop the Rebecca Gratz Digital Collection, helping preserve and expand access to Gratz’s correspondence for future generations.

Together, Popkin’s research and Ashton’s scholarship illuminate the life of a visionary woman whose influence on Jewish education, social welfare, and women’s leadership continues to resonate today. Read the article and (re)discover a foundational figure in American Jewish history. The Rebecca Gratz Letters Collection is still growing with the addition of newly discoverable letters. These are now available through the Grayzel Digital Platform.

to Jeremy Popkin, who is a friend of the collection. In the past, he has helped us find some unique Rebecca Gratz letters and participated in a panel about the correspondence on our Grayzel Digital Platform. Thank you.

Rebecca Gratz correspondence on Grayzel: https://grayzel.gratz.edu/digital-collection/rebecca-gratz-correspondence

Learn about Dianne Ashton: https://grayzel.gratz.edu/article/project-memory-dianne-ashton

https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/american-jewry/19652/rediscovering-rebecca-gratz/

Rebecca Gratz was more than a great Jewish philanthropist with a legendary backstory. She was also a worried older sister, as newly discovered letters reveal.

06/02/2026

Look who we met at the Network for Research in Jewish Education (NRJE) conference!

Dean Leslie Ginsparg Klein bumped into Gratz students Odelia Epstein and Ora Weinbach.

Odelia and Ora are students in our Executive PhD in Jewish Studies degree program. They are part of an exceptional group of Orthodox women in our inaugural Walder Fellows cohort. They are already a year into their doctoral journeys! We wish them continued success on their path.

Thanks to the ongoing support from the Walder Foundation, the women in our second cohort are starting their studies now.

Learn more about our PhD program and the Walder cohort: https://lnkd.in/e_PbpXPT
Learn more about the Walder Foundation: https://lnkd.in/ezkTjfFB

Tamar Snyder Chaitovsky
Walder Foundation