About the Center
Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies (CJHPS) was established in 2002 to develop new educational opportunities for students, teachers and the community. Located administratively within the College of Arts and Sciences, the center’s vision promotes tolerance, understanding and respect for all human life. To accomplish this vision, the center works to strengthen tolerance, understanding and remembrance by increasing the knowledge of Jewish culture and history, teaching the history and meaning of the Holocaust and utilizing these experiences to explore peaceful avenues for human improvement and the prevention of further genocides.
CJHPS is an associate institutional member of the Association of Jewish Studies, a member of the Association of Holocaust Organizations and a member of the North Carolina Consortium of Jewish Studies.
Our Vision
The Center promotes tolerance, understanding and respect for all human life. We believe that all people have the right to live and thrive in safety, and we seek to build a more equitable and peaceful world through education and outreach.
Our Mission
The Center seeks to strengthen tolerance, understanding and remembrance by increasing the knowledge of Jewish culture and history, teaching the history and meaning of the Holocaust and utilizing these experiences to explore peaceful avenues for human improvement and the prevention of further genocides.
Objectives
- Organization of public lectures, research colloquia, campus exhibits, scholarly workshops and conferences for academic and community audiences at Appalachian State and—in cooperation with national and international partners—in North Carolina, the United States, Germany and Israel.
- Development of a visiting scholars program that regularly brings both international and American scholars in Jewish or Holocaust Studies to campus.
- Sponsorship the Martin and Doris Rosen Summer Holocaust Symposium for public school teachers from the United States and Eastern Europe, Appalachian State students and faculty, and the wider community.
- Introduction of a post-doctoral fellowship program in Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies.
- Support of an expanded undergraduate minor in Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies (under the College of Arts and Sciences) and its curricular offerings.
- Support of research-oriented study abroad opportunities related to Judaic, Holocaust and/or Peace Studies in Europe and Israel.
- Encouragement of cross-campus, interdisciplinary cooperation and faculty development related to Judaic, Holocaust and/or Peace Studies.
- Facilitation and support of student and faculty research and publication in Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies.
- Expansion of a Library and Resource Center that collects and makes accessible resources, scholarly publications and archival collections in Judaic Holocaust, and Peace Studies to Appalachian State students, faculty and staff, teachers and the wider community.
- Establishment of a fundraising, grant writing and endowment program that ensures the Center's continued operation.