About the JewishGen Future Scholars FellowshipJewishGen is pleased to invite applications for its fourth annual JewishGen Future Scholars Fellowship program to take place from July 9, 2024 - July 18, 2024. Rising second-fourth year undergraduate students in accredited colleges or universities are invited to apply. This immersive program, created in partnership with The Matzevah Foundation, and the Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland, focuses on the role of Jewish cemeteries today in preserving the memory and legacy of former Jewish communities.
The purpose of this program is to inspire and begin the training of the future generation of leaders in Jewish genealogical involvement. Focusing on Poland, we seek to explore basic tools of genealogical searching in Poland, once home to more than half of world Jewry, and share and protect the history that gave shape to that genealogy of the past and future.
Participants will help clean-up a cemetery, learn about symbols and epitaphs on tombstones, the general state of Jewish cemeteries in Poland after the Holocaust, efforts to preserve them from both a communal, political, and Halachic perspective, and consider lessons that can be gleaned to inform our own life choices today. On this 10-day journey, participants will tour many Jewish heritage sites including Warsaw, spend an inspirational Shabbat in Krakow, visit Auschwitz/Birkenau, and ultimately participate in the clean-up and preservation of Jewish cemetery in partnership with Polish volunteers. The trip will be led by highly experienced staff and participants will have an opportunity to learn from rabbis, scholars, dignitaries, and community leaders, who will offer first-hand insights regarding the imperative (and challenges) of cleaning-up cemeteries in accordance with Jewish law. They will address how local Polish communities view Jewish cemeteries in their towns, the need to preserve Jewish memory, and more. During the trip, Fellows will have nightly reflection exercises to discuss and internalize everything they learned during that day. Upon returning home, each Fellow will be expected to record a video and write a blog post and an essay describing his or her experience. How Much Does It Cost & Frequently Asked QuestionsThis program is nearly fully subsidized, save for a $450 (to be paid upon acceptance and commitment to the program) non-refundable registration fee. All other expenses will be completely covered by JewishGen (including r/t travel from NY, transportation in Poland, meals, lodging, materials, etc). Dietary laws will be observed. For more information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions: https://jewishgen.org/fellowship/faq.html Questions may be sent to FutureScholars@JewishGen.org. How to ApplyThe application period closes at 11:59 PM ET on March 13, 2024. To request a formal application, please click the button below.FACULTY BIOS
AVRAHAM GROLL | Vice President of JewishGen, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Avraham Groll has a passion for connecting people with their Jewish roots. As VP of JewishGen at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, he has partnered with a dedicated team of volunteers to position JewishGen as the premier resource for Jewish genealogical research, and he continues to drive innovation and expansion in order to meet the evolving needs of the global Jewish genealogical community. Avraham has a diverse educational background that includes an MBA from Montclair State University, an MA in Judaic Studies from Touro College, a certificate in Jewish Executive Leadership from Columbia University, and a BS in Business Administration from Ramapo College. His two years of study at Yeshiva Ohr Yerushalayim in Israel have also informed his approach to leadership, community building, and dedication to preserving our collective Jewish family history and heritage.
DR. DAN OREN | President and Founder, Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland
Dan A. Oren, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry (adjunct) at Yale University has worked for thirty years as a psychiatrist and faculty member at. Oren is author of the new book on Jewish genealogy and family history "The Wedding Photo". He is married to Judaica artist Jeanette
Kuvin Oren. He has been tracing his genealogy for more than forty years and has led multiple groups in Poland. He leads FJHP as a volunteer devoted to helping Jewish descendants partner with Polish organizations to preserve their ancestral cemeteries.
DR. STEVEN REECE | Founder & CEO, The Matzevah Foundation
Steven D. Reece worked as a photojournalist before entering religious and charitable work. He leads The Matzevah Foundation to care for and restore Jewish cemeteries in Poland, commemorate mass grave sites, and educate the public about the Holocaust. Steven is an ordained Baptist minister and is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Steven is certified to teach about the Holocaust through Yad Vashem
and Tel Aviv University. He received his Ph.D. in Leadership from Andrews University in 2019 and is currently on a Fulbright teaching grant in Poland.
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