Available Fellowships

• NEH Scholar in Residence

  The application deadline for the NEH Scholar in Residence starting in Fall 2022 is December 1, 2021.

  Through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) the Center for Jewish History (the Center) invites applications for an NEH Scholar in Residence that will support original research conducted at the Center.  Applications are welcome from scholars working in a broad range of fields within the humanities and social sciences. The application deadline is December 1, 2021 for a residency beginning in September 2022.

  Applications are welcome from scholars in any field who have completed a PhD more than six years prior to the start of the fellowship and whose research will benefit considerably from consultation with materials in the collections of the Center’s partners – American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

  Fellowships carry a stipend of $60,000 for a period of 12 months. Fellows are expected to conduct original research at the Center, deliver at least one public program based on the research conducted, actively participate in the scholarly community at the Center, and be a mentor to the graduate student and postdoctoral fellows also in residence.  Fellows must acknowledge the Center and the National Endowment for the Humanities in all publications resulting from research completed during the fellowship, and submit a report upon completion of the fellowship describing the experience.

  Assessment Criteria

  • The ambition, scope, and intellectual significance of the proposed project.
  • The quality and impact of the applicant’s prior work in their respective field.
  • The overall clarity and intelligibility of the proposal, with its aims clearly conveyed.
  • The feasibility and appropriateness of the project proposal, including the applicant’s disciplinary and linguistic training and, when relevant, the soundness of the dissemination and access plans.
  • The likelihood that the applicant will become part of the life of the Center for Jewish History for the time of the fellowship, by using its collections for the proposed project and participating in Center events.

  The NEH Scholar in Residence will join a larger cohort of long- and short-term fellows within the Center’s Fellowship Program. The Center seeks to build a fellowship cohort that is diverse in race, ethnicity, and gender as well as academic rank, geographic location, and field of study. Qualified individuals who would bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the fellowship are especially encouraged to apply.
  

  Requirements for Application

  • Cover letter stating area of interest, how the project relates to the mission of the Center for Jewish History, and how the project will benefit from the residency (no more than one page);
  • Curriculum Vitae;
  • Research proposal (no more than 1500 words), including specific reference to the collections at the Center and clearly stated goals for research during the period of the fellowship;
  • A one-page bibliography of important secondary sources for the project;
  • Contact information for three references, who can speak to the significance of the candidate’s work.

  
  

  Please submit your application materials by email as one continuous PDF file by December 1, 2021 to:

  Julie Kaplan
  Center for Jewish History
  15 West 16th Street
  New York, NY 10011
  United States of America
  Email: fellowships@cjh.org

• Graduate Research Fellowship

  The application deadline for Graduate Research Fellowships starting in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 is June 30, 2021.

  The Center for Jewish History offers ten-month fellowships to doctoral candidates to support original research using the collections of the Center’s Partners - American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Preference is given to those candidates who draw on the archival and library resources of more than one partner institution. Fellowships must run for 10 months, starting either fall 2021 or spring 2022, and applicants should have completed all requirements (i.e., coursework, exams, dissertation proposal) for the doctoral degree except for the dissertation. Fellows are encouraged to spend two days per week in residence in the Lillian Goldman Reading Room using the archival and library resources; however, we also encourage applications from applicants who will be fully remote (if the collection material is predominantly digitized and available remotely) or from applicants who will operate on a hybrid model (e.g., spend a month or two at the Center and work remotely for the remainder of the fellowship period). Fellows must also participate in the Center’s Fellowship Seminar Program, attend bi-weekly meetings of the fellowship program cohort, deliver a minimum of one lecture based on research conducted at Center, and submit a report upon completion of the fellowship describing their experience as a Center fellow. In-residence fellowships carry a stipend of $22,500 for a period of 10 months. Remote or hybrid fellowships carry a stipend of $20,000 for the same period, plus the Center will be able to support digitization of a limited amount of collection material relevant to the fellow’s research.

  Eligibility

  • The fellowship is open to qualified doctoral candidates from accredited domestic and international institutions.
  • In-person, fully-remote, and hybrid fellowships will be considered, depending on the availability of digitized collection materials.
  • Applicants should have completed all requirements (i.e., coursework, exams, dissertation proposal) for the doctoral degree except for the dissertation.
  • Fellows will be permitted to hold a concurrent fellowship provided that it does not interfere in any way with full participation in the activities described above. Please consult the Center before accepting any additional fellowships, academic or other positions to be held during the term of the Center fellowship.
  • For non-U.S. citizens, it is the responsibility of the applicant to have the appropriate visa for acceptance of the award during the ten-month fellowship term. The Center is not a visa-granting institution.

  
  

  Requirements for Application

  • Cover letter stating area of interest, knowledge of relevant languages, preference for the in-residence, hybrid or remote category, and how the project relates to the general mission of the Center for Jewish History
  • Curriculum Vitae, including contact information, education, publications, scholarly and/or museum activities, teaching experience, and any other relevant work experiences
  • Research proposal of no more than four pages double-spaced, including specific reference to the collections at the Center and clearly stated goals for research during the period of the fellowship
  • A one-page bibliography of important secondary sources for the project
  • One letter of recommendation from the candidate’s primary advisor. The letter should address the significance of the candidate’s work for their field, as well as the candidate’s ability to fulfill the proposed work. Please ensure that your application indicates the name and contact information of the person writing the letter of recommendation on your behalf.
  • Letter of recommendation should be sent separately, directly by the recommender – preferably by email – to the address below.
  • Please submit application materials 1-4 by email.

  
  

  The schedule for the application process is as follows:

  • All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be received by June 30, 2021 for consideration.
  • Announcement of grant recipients by August 16, 2021
  • Commencement of grant period is fall 2021 or spring 2022
  • Conclusion of grant period, 10 months after commencement

  
  

  Applications are to be submitted to:

  Julie Kaplan
  Center for Jewish History
  15 West 16th Street
  New York, NY 10011
  United States of America
  Email: fellowships@cjh.org

• CJH-Fordham University Research Fellowship

  The application deadline for the CJH-Fordham University Research Fellowship is February 1, 2022.

  Fordham University's Center for Jewish Studies and the Center for Jewish History offer a joint short-term research fellowship in Jewish Studies for scholars outside the New York City metropolitan area whose research focuses on Jewish-Christian relations and who wish to conduct research based on materials housed at the Center for Jewish History and Fordham University.

  The fellow is expected to spend at least a month at the two host institutions, but may stay as long as five months. The fellow's stay must coincide with either the fall or spring Fordham University academic semesters. The stipend for this fellowship is $5,000.

  The fellow will receive affiliation with Fordham University, and will be required to offer a faculty seminar, and a public lecture, which would be a joint event of Fordham and CJH with alternate venues. The fellow is also expected to participate in scholarly seminars and other meetings at the Center for Jewish History and Fordham University.

  The CJH-Fordham Research Fellowship in Jewish-Christian Relations is made possible by funds from the Center for Jewish History, the Eugene Shvidler Gift Fund at Fordham University, and additional gift funds to Jewish Studies at Fordham University.

  
  

  Applications are to be submitted to:

  Julie Kaplan
  Center for Jewish History
  15 West 16th Street
  New York, NY 10011
  United States of America
  Email: fellowships@cjh.org

• Visiting Scholars Program

  The Center for Jewish History's Visiting Scholar Program invites scholars who have completed their doctorate or its equivalent to apply for an affiliation with the Center and to work in the collections of one or more of its partner institutions: American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. For their period of affiliation, Visiting Scholars will receive workspace at the Center and access to the collections housed at the Center for Jewish History. The Visiting Scholar Program does not provide a stipend or financial support.

  Visiting Scholars will be expected to commit to a regular presence at the Center for a minimum of three months, working at the Center at least two days per week. Visiting Scholars are expected to play an active role in the Center's Fellowship Program activities by attending meetings with other fellows and either presenting an academic seminar on their work or participating in a public program. Scholars may apply to be affiliated with the Center for a full academic year (September - May), the fall semester (September - December) or spring semester (mid-January - May), or for the summer (June - August).

  Junior and senior scholars, including those who are on leave from their home institutions, are encouraged to apply, as are independent scholars and scholars who are between academic appointments.

  Eligibility

  • Scholars holding a PhD or equivalent terminal degree
  • Scholars working on projects that make use of the Center partner collections
  • Scholars eager to participate in the Center's active community of researchers

  
  

  Requirements for Application

  • A complete curriculum vitae
  • A description of the proposed research project, maximum 3 pages in length, including an explanation of which of the Center partners' collections will be used
  • The names and contact information of two references
  • Please send all application materials together electronically as one continuous PDF document.

  
  

  Applications are to be submitted to:

  Julie Kaplan
  Center for Jewish History
  15 West 16th Street
  New York, NY 10011
  United States of America
  Email: fellowships@cjh.org

Center for Jewish History Fellows

The Center for Jewish History welcomes a new cohort of outstanding fellows to spend the 2021-22 academic year engaged in their cutting-edge research. They will be working with the Center's Partners' archives on their original projects. Varying in their disciplinary and chronological scope, the fellows’ scholarship weaves a fascinating and complex picture of the field of Jewish studies today.

Each year the Center for Jewish History hosts a cohort of scholars as well as a distinguished senior scholar.

Jeffrey Shandler, 2021-22 NEH Scholar-in-Residence
Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Fields: Jewish memory practices, Jewish cultural history, intellectual history of Jewish Studies, digital humanities in Jewish Studies, Yiddish language, literature and culture

Project: Jewish Museums Lost and Found
Lost Jewish museums include institutions shut down because of political upheavals—most notoriously, the dismantling of museums in European cities under Nazi control—as well as the relocation, dispersal, or reconstitution of Judaica collections, plus the planning of Jewish museums that were never realized. Shandler’s interest in lost museums responds to recent developments involving museums generally. Beginning in spring 2020, museums around the world were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and questions remain as to their future. In an unexpected way, the closing of museums foregrounds questions central to his research: What role do museums play in Jewish life today? What practices have museums instituted that have become part of contemporary Jewish culture? 

Joining Jeffrey Shandler will be doctoral students pursuing diverse research in Jewish studies:

• Oskar Czendze, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Aleksandra Jakubczak, Columbia University
• Susanne Heim, University of Freiburg
• Carla Veira, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
• David Walsh, Princeton University
• Anne Blankenship, North Dakota State University
• Karen Stern, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
• Zuzanna Hertzberg, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland

Past Fellows