torah fund - The Jewish Theological Seminary

the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation,
the Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship Program is
designed to create a cadre of Reform and Conservative
rabbis who share a broad and dynamic vision of
communal leadership for American Jewry. The JTS
students awarded fellowships are Dahlia Bernstein,
Joshua Dorsch, Ravid Tilles, and Eric Woodward.
William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education
JTS students with Chancellor Eisen
• The Jewish Theological Seminary, in recognition of its leadership in Jewish education, received
nearly $15 million in grants from the Jim Joseph Foundation in academic year 2009–2010. The
grant benefits the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, providing academic
fellowships and support for two new master’s tracks. Additionally, it will help support new
student internships, faculty, and personnel, and a new Israel program (see below). The grant
is part of $45 million that the foundation has awarded to the three leading training institutions
for Jewish educators in North America—JTS, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of
Religion, and Yeshiva University—for the purpose of significantly increasing the number and
quality of trained and credentialed Jewish educators.
• As part of this generous grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation, in January 2012 The Davidson
School will inaugurate Kesher Hadash (New Connection), a new and innovative Semester-in-
Israel program in the field of Israel Education. Kesher Hadash will offer an opportunity for 10
students to spend 5 months in Israel and take part in a 12-credit curriculum that includes
traditional and experiential ulpans (classes for the intensive study of Hebrew); mifgash
(encounters) with Israeli teachers and citizens; volunteer opportunities; day trips; and courses
on Zionism and Israel in contemporary education. Completion of the landmark program will
result in a certificate in Israel Education, making The Davidson School the first academic
institution in the country to offer a certificate program in this field.
• In 2010, thanks to the generosity of the Botwinick-Wolfensohn Foundation, JTS established the
Benjamin Botwinick Award and Fellowship Program to continue and honor the vision of
interdenominational understanding and commitment within Judaism that was central to the
life of Benjamin Botwinick (z”l) (1906–2000). The first award was presented on November 18,
2010, to Michael Brooks, executive director of the University of Michigan Hillel and a successful
businessman and philanthropist. The first two Botwinick Fellows are Ariel Scheer and Jacob
Komisar, both students at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education who are
doing research in the field of Jewish pluralism. They will be mentored by Mr. Brooks, who was
selected in recognition of his leadership and commitment to furthering interdenominational
understanding and cooperation within Judaism.
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