American Jewish University Seeks High School Partners as it Launches New American Jewish Ethnic Studies Course to Fulfill California Requirements

LOS ANGELES –American Jewish University (AJU) announced today the launch of ETH 105: American Jewish Ethnic Studies, a free, online college-level course designed to fulfill ethnic studies requirements in California. 

Completing a course in ethnic studies is a mandatory high school graduation requirement for most public school districts in the State of California. This follows an existing ethnic studies course graduation requirement for students in the CA Community College and CA State University systems. However, existing ethnic studies curricula often omit Jewish-American experiences or contain harmful or inaccurate narratives. 

“The Jewish American experience has long been overlooked in public education,” said Dr. Robbie Totten, AJU’s Chief Academic Officer. “With California’s ethnic studies requirements, we have a unique opportunity to elevate the voices of Jewish Americans through our course, ETH 105.”

AJU’s American Jewish Ethnic Studies course is designed to meet California’s requirements while deepening students’ understanding of the diverse and complex history of Jews in America. The course fosters inclusivity and combats antisemitism by exploring the experiences of Jewish Americans who also identify as African American, Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x, Native American, or Asian American and Pacific Islander. To provide a broader perspective, it also examines the histories and cultural contributions of these communities in the United States.

AJU is actively seeking partnerships with California high schools, colleges, and universities to offer this course for academic credit at their institutions. Whether the course satisfies the requirement will depend on individual school districts or high schools, and AJU is currently working to secure these approvals.

“As a Jewish educational institution, American Jewish University has profound knowledge in teaching and educating about the Jewish experience,” said Rabbi Carrie Vogel, Director of Undergraduate Initiatives at AJU. “ETH 105 is a crucial step toward building a more inclusive and accurate story of American Jews, Israel, and the Jewish people.”

With this course, AJU ensures that the history and experiences of Jewish Americans are included in the field of ethnic studies, further enriching students' understanding of diversity and equality in the United States.

To learn more about AJU's American Jewish Ethnic Studies course, visit www.aju.edu/ethnicstudies. AJU is now actively recruiting high schools that would want their students to take this course. If you are a teacher or parent interested in exploring how your school can offer this course, please contact Rabbi Carrie Vogel, Director of Undergraduate Initiatives a jle [at] aju.edu (jle[at]aju[dot]edu).

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About AJU: American Jewish University (AJU) is a thriving center of resources and talent that advances the Jewish journeys of individuals, organizations, and our community through excellence in scholarship, teaching, engaged conversation, experiential education, and outreach. AJU equips students, faculty, campers, and learners of all ages with the tools to create the ideas, build the structures, and develop the programs to advance Jewish wisdom and elevate our world. For more information, visit www.aju.edu.