Author: Jillian Chambers

Internship Opportunities with GoEco in Israel

GoEco has several internships available for summer 2018:

Coral Reef Conservation – Eilat

At the meeting point between Egypt, Israel and Jordan you will find the city of Eilat, the gateway to one of the world’s most densely populated coral reefs, located at the northern tip of the Red Sea. As a volunteer, you will become a key part of the team through seasonal tasks such as beach clean-ups, buoy maintenance, beach observations and tourist education. Don’t miss out on this unbelievable opportunity to learn about and assist in the conservation of Israel’s one and only coral reef!

Desert Wildlife Program – Arava Desert
Join this unique wildlife conservation project in the spectacular desert landscape of the Arava! You’ll prepare food and feed the animals, clean and maintain the reserve and help park rangers with their daily tasks.

Vegan Bakery Internship – Tel Aviv
Learn from the experts at this up and coming vegan bakery at the forefront of vegan desserts. Interns will learn how to make vegan treats from scratch using nuts and seeds instead of milk and butter, and experiment with natural ingredients to create new culinary experiences!

Creating Safe Spaces for At-Risk Youth – Jerusalem
This unique school gives at-risk youth a second chance by nurturing their creativity and self-expression. You will assist in the plant nursery where students take on the task of reviving donated plants and caring for small farm animals.

Desert Eco Village – Tzukim
This unique eco-lodge resort is built completely by hand from mud and local sustainable materials. You will help build and maintain structures, prepare guest cabins, and help with gardening and cooking as needed to keep this beautiful eco-village running smoothly.

Call for Applications: 2018 Fulbright Awards

The Fulbright Program is calling for applications for the three following grants: Senior Scholar, Senior Specialist and Post-Doctoral Fellow.

  • Senior Scholar: Granted to members of academic staff, senior professionals, or accomplished artists or writers for visits to Israeli institutions of higher education to be carried out during the 2018/2019 academic year. The visiting fellows’ programs of work may include research, lecturing, or a combination of lecturing and research. The program grants will support visits of four months and open to all fields of study.
  • Senior Specialist: This program provides support for short (2 to 6 week) visits by United States academics or senior professionals. This program may include activities such as lecturing to undergraduate or graduate students; professional consultations and advising; participation in workshops, symposia or conferences; and development and/or evaluation of academic curricula or educational materials.
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow: This program offers fellowships in all academic disciplines to American post-doctoral researchers at Israeli universities during the course of academic years 2018/2019 to 2020.

For more information, you can visit the Fulbright Program Award page or email United States Program Manager Imri Grinberg at imrig@fulbright.org.il.

Call for Submissions: 2017 Jordan Schnitzer Book Awards

The Association for Jewish Studies is pleased to announce the 2017 Jordan Schnitzer Book Awards, made possible by funding from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation of Portland, Oregon. These awards recognize and promote outstanding scholarship in the field of Jewish Studies and honor scholars whose work embodies the best in the field: rigorous research, theoretical sophistication, innovative methodology, and excellent writing. AJS annually awards one winner and one finalist in each of four categories. The categories rotate over a two-year cycle, for a total of eight categories. Each winner will receive $10,000 and each finalist $2,000.

Deadline: May 23, 2017

The four submission categories for 2017 are:

  1. Jewish Literature and Linguistics
  2. Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History and Culture
  3. Modern Jewish History and Culture: Africa, Americas, Asia and Oceania
  4. Philosophy and Jewish Thought

For more information, you can visit the AJS website or contact Amy Weiss at aweiss@ajs.cjh.org.

Dov Waxman on “Trouble in the Tribe”

Dov Waxman, professor of political science, international affairs and Israel studies at Northeastern University presented “Trouble in the Tribe: The American Jewish Conflict over Israel” on March 9. Professor Waxman discussed three changes that caused a shift in American Jews becoming more critical of Israeli politics: Israeli political ideals shifting to the right, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the changes in how the conflict is conducted on both sides. Professor Waxman also explored the differing views on Israel within the Jewish community itself, explaining that Orthodox Jews tended to be more conservative and non-Orthodox Jews were more liberal. This political divide also accounts for the shifting opinion of Israel with American Jewish communities. For more on this event, check out the Daily Campus article that covered our talk.

Internship Opportunity in Poland

The Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow, Poland is calling for 2017 interns. The Galicia Jewish Museum exists to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, to celebrate the Jewish culture of Polish Galicia, and to present Jewish history from a new perspective. The objectives of the Museum are to challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions typically associated with the Jewish past in Poland, and to educate both Poles and Jews about their own histories while encouraging them to think about the future.

The Museum internship program offers in-depth insight into the working of a growing and dynamic organization. Interns are fully immersed in the everyday working of the Museum. This allows them to gain practical experience in a thriving cultural institution whilst focusing on the preservation of Jewish and Holocaust memory in both a Polish and international context.

Internships are for a recommended minimum of eight weeks, and may be extended subject to mutual agreement. They can take place throughout the year, and are highly competitive. This means that prospective candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible. All internships are unpaid.

For more information or to apply for an internship, please visit http://www.galiciajewishmuseum.org/en/internships or contact Monika Stępień at monika@galiciajewishmuseum.org.

UConn Winter in Israel: Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship

Spend your winter intersession studying in Israel, one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial countries in the world.

  • Earn 1 credit for BADM 4893
  • Meet with business, scientific and academic leaders in Israel
  • Visit high-tech enterprises, venture capital investors, technology accelerators, academic institutions and government offices
  • Experience many of Israel’s historic sites, float in the Dead Sea, and spend time immersing yourself in Israel’s culture
  • Scholarships are available!
  • Visit abroad.uconn.edu/winter-in-israel for more information and to by October 2, 2017

Call for Applications: 2017 Leffell Seminar

Call for Applications: 2017 Leffell Seminar on the Impact of Israel upon American Jewry (August 7-9, 2017)

Deadline: April 7, 2017

How has Israel shaped the culture, religious expression, political and organizational life, and self-understanding of American Jews between 1948 and the present? This subject will be explored at a three day seminar sponsored by The Lisa and Michael Leffell Foundation, August 7-9, 2017 in White Plains, New York.

Facilitated by senior academic faculty and leading opinion-makers, the seminar invites applicants from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences. All transportation and lodging expenses will be provided by the Foundation. Seminar presenters will receive $2,500 stipend for their participation. Early and mid-career academic, advanced graduate students, and thought leaders are invited to submit an application by April 7, 2017 with notification of accepted for the seminar by April 30, 2017.

For more information, contact spopovsky@leffellfoundation.org or visit israeled.org/leffell-seminar.

Brown University: Revisiting the Questions of Jewish Origins

The Program in Judaic Studies at Brown University will host a conference entitled “Revisiting the Question of Jewish Origins: Myth/Construct/Reality” on March 20-21, 2017 at The Faculty Club, One Magee Street, Providence, Rhode Island.

The Jews have one of the longest continuously recorded histories of any people in the world, but what do we actually know about their origins? This multi-disciplinary symposium aims to bring together new research on the question of Jewish origin from a range of fields, including historical studies, archaeology, and genetics.

All conference sessions are open to the public. Any questions should be addressed to Katharina Galor at katharina_galor@brown.edu.

Israel Academic Travel Awards 2017

Global Affairs, Judaic Studies, and Middle East Studies are pleased to announce a competition for travel awards for academic study in Israel in the summer of 2017. The deadline for application is April 3, 2017.

Awards of $1500 may be used to defray expenses such as airfare and registration costs. Awardees will submit a written summary of their travel experience by September 15, 2017.

Please call the Center for Judaic Studies at 860-486-2271 for application details.

This program is not open to current seniors graduating in May 2017, or to incoming students. Summer is defined according to the UConn calendar (end of May through end of August).

Questions? Contact judaicstudies@uconn.edu.

AAJR Postdoctoral Fellowship in American Jewish Studies

The American Academy for Jewish Research (AAJR) announces a nine-month postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Jewish History in American Jewish Studies for a recent recipient of the Ph.D.

The postdoctoral position requires a commitment to research and write a history of the AAJR from its founding in 1920 to the present. It is expected that at the end of the nine-month fellowship (September 1, 2017 – June 1, 2018) the fellow will have completed a 25,000 word publishable article on the history of the AAJR based, in part, on the archives located at the American Jewish Historical Society. As part of the intellectual community of the Center for Jewish History, the postdoctoral fellow will participate in regular bi-weekly seminars and will give a public presentation based on the research completed under the fellowship’s auspices.

Requirements: Ph.D. in a field of American Jewish studies (e.g. history, literature, social sciences) received no earlier than 2012 and in hand by June 2017.

Stipend: $50,000

Application: Interested applicants should send the following items as a single pdf to Christopher Barthel (cbarthel@cjh.org) by March 31, 2017. Fellowship winner will be notified by April 30.

  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal state of interest in the fellowship (not to exceed two pages)
  • Writing sample (not to exceed 30 pages)
  • Two confidential letters of recommendation to be sent separately to Christopher Barthel (cbarthel@cjh.org)

For more information, please visit www.fellowships.cjh.org.