Jewish Studies Expansion Program (JSEP)

News

The FJC has selected the following institutions for its 2010-2012 cohort: UC Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA), Portland State University (Portland, OR), University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), Colgate University (Hamilton, NY), and Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY).

The Foundation for Jewish Culture (FJC) has raised a total of $818,000 from two major philanthropic foundations, the Washington, D.C.-based Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and the San Francisco-based Jim Joseph Foundation, to be used to further enhance Jewish studies. The funding comes at a time of increasing challenges for all humanities-based programs, including Jewish studies, at U.S. colleges and universities.

The Foundation will announce all six 2010-2012 teaching fellows in spring 2010.

The first JSEP cohort also concludes this spring.

Overview

The Jewish Studies Expansion Program provides greater opportunities for Jewish learning and engagement at schools with small and under resourced Jewish studies programs and keen support from undergraduates, faculty, and administration. A JSEP matching grant permits the hire of a two-year postdoctoral teaching fellow, who expands the number of courses offered and helps raise the profile of Jewish studies through cultural programs and other campus activities.

In its first cohort, JSEP's teaching fellows have increased enrollments in Jewish studies by as much as 46%, with some 60% of students reporting they had not taken a Jewish studies course before. Furthermore, an independent evaluation revealed that JSEP courses stimulate students' interest in Jewish studies on both an academic and personal level. Courses appear also to have a positive impact on Jewish students not otherwise engaged in Jewish life on campus, while they appear to foster increased tolerance and understanding among non-Jewish students.

Established in 2008, the Jewish Studies Expansion Program (JSEP), a pilot program aimed at enhancing Jewish studies at underserved colleges and universities around the country. Supported by a generous $1.05 million grant from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF), this three-year initiative commenced at six pilot universities in fall 2008: American University, Washington, D.C.; Northeastern University, Boston, MA; Ohio University, Athens, OH; Towson University, Towson, MD; Tulane University, New Orleans, LA; and University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Meet our fellows.

Benefits

JSEP benefits several groups, including:

• New PhDs, who receive extensive training through our retreats and also via on-site mentoring
• Jewish Students, who get exposed to Jewish culture and thought in a way they haven’t encountered before college
• Non-Jewish Undergraduates, who report a shift in their perspectives resulting from the course.  The course increased their awareness of Jews on campus and in the media, diffused prejudices, and clarified misconceptions.
• Local Community members, who attend JSEP events, building stronger relationships between Jewish studies programs and local constituents.

Eligibility

The Jewish Studies Expansion Program is intended to aid colleges and universities who have a great demand and support for course expansion among students and administrators, but who have only up to one or two faculty members teaching full time in Jewish Studies (or related areas).

Recipients of the Teaching Fellowships will be recent PhDs with strong academic and leadership skills. Fellows will also organize events and lectures on campus, join in scholarly conferences and events, and more generally act as “beacons” among faculty, students, and the broader community.

Deadlines/Application

The next cohort of JSEP schools will be selected in 2011. Please contact Paul Zakrzewski, director, Jewish Studies Expansion Program, for further information.

Please note that the Foundation does not directly hire Teaching Fellows. Inquiries for positions opening in Spring 2010 should be directed to individual institutions.

Program Funders

The Jewish Studies Expansion Program is made possible through the generous support of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF) and the San Francisco-based Jim Joseph Foundation.