CJS - Scholarships & Awards

CJS students in the Master of Arts and Doctoral programs are eligible for a range of generous financial aid packages, fellowships, and awards.

Friedman-Lowenthal Essay Prize

The Freidman-Lowenthal Essay Prize at the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies has as its purpose the encouragement of writing and reflection in the field of Jewish studies. The gift for this prize, $1000 or part there-of, is granted by the Freidman-Lowenthal family. First and second prize may be awarded. Essays will be evaluated for academic excellence, writing style, persuasiveness, as well as originality of ideas.

Essays should be a minimum of ten pages and may not exceed twenty-five pages. Essays eligible for consideration for the prize must be written by CJS graduates or current CJS students. GTU member school students enrolled in a CJS course in the academic year of 2022-2023 are also eligible.

Essays for 2022-2023 must be submitted by Monday, December 19th to daranoff@gtu.edu.

Jewish Community Fellowship

The Jewish Community Fellowship offers one free course at the Center for Jewish Studies for Jewish educators and community professionals interested in earning graduate credit in Jewish Studies. Participants in the fellowship become part of a cohort of students exploring the intersection of critical studies and Jewish communal endeavors.

Click here to learn more about the Jewish Community Fellowship and application info.

CJS Language-Study, Travel, and Research Grant

The CJS Language-Study, Travel, and Research Grant offers funding each year for intensive language-study and research.

Eligibility: To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled at the M.A. or Ph.D. level at the Center for Jewish Studies, Graduate Theological Union. Students in the M.A. program who have already received summer grants are not eligible. Doctoral students may apply for funding even if they have received funding in the past.

Criteria: Grants will help students pay expenses incurred in summer research. Such expenses include tuition for language or other study programs, travel to language programs or research sites, as well as accommodations.

Application: Students must submit a proposal, curriculum vitae, and proposed budget. The study proposal should explain the relationship between the proposed summer program and ongoing academic interests. Please include letters of acceptance, and other related material.

Students who receive summer grants are required to submit a report on completion of their summer program.

Applications for 2023 are due Wednesday April 5. Applications must be submitted electronically to both the CJS Email (cjs@gtu.edu) and to CJS Director Deena Aranoff (daranoff@gtu.edu).

CJS Tuition Fellowships

CJS is excited to announce a new tuition fellowship for M.A. students in the academic year of 2023-2024. M.A. students in the first year of the program at CJS are eligible for a tuition fellowship of up to 2K per term. Students who already received CJS funding for one course, or have received the Jewish Community Fellowship prior to registering for the M.A., are eligible to receive funding toward one more course. All awards will be issued through the financial aid office and applied to student accounts.

Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in the GTU’s Master of Arts program, with a concentration in Jewish Studies. To receive the fellowship, students must be registered for at least 6 units in the term awarded. Awards will be spread across the Fall and Spring terms.

Applications: To apply for the fellowship, please submit a 250-word essay in which you describe the focus of your graduate studies and how advanced Jewish study at the GTU serves your broader academic and/or personal aspirations. Applications for Fall 2023 must be submitted by email to CJS Director Deena Aranoff (daranoff@gtu.edu) by Thursday August 31, 2023.

Additional GTU Scholarships & Fellowship Opportunities

Newhall Teaching and Research Fellowship. This program provides doctoral students with the opportunity to work with core faculty to develop and teach new courses and lead research.

Presidential Scholars Program. Provides doctoral students with full tuition and is merit-based.

The Taube Travel and Research Grant is designated for intensive study and research in the languages, history and culture of East European Jews, during the summer.

The ICP Jewish Studies Fellowship, made possible through the generous donation of The Taube Foundation, offers a scholarship that provides tuition support for courses in the Certificate in Interreligious Chaplaincy for students affiliated with the Center for Jewish Studies.

Madrasa-Midrasha Interreligious Research Grant, made possible through The Walter & Elise Haas Foundation, provides research grants for GTU students working on interreligious projects related to Judaism and/or Islam.