Nov 21, 2021 By: yunews
Sarah Wapner , Straus Center Impact and Recruitment Officer, has been accepted to the Krauthammer Fellowship, while Sam Gelman, Straus Center Communications and Program Officer, has been accepted into the Machon Siach Graduate Fellowship.
Sponsored by the Tikvah Fund, the Krauthammer Fellowship aims at advancing the careers of aspiring Jewish intellectuals through writing workshops with editors and journalists from the Jewish Review of Books, National Affairs, Commentary, City Journal, The New Criterion, National Review and The New Atlantis; virtual seminars exploring foundational themes in Jewish and American political thought; and networking opportunities. Fellows are then given the opportunity to write long-form essays and articles on the topic of their choosing.
Wapner was one of 36 fellows selected from hundreds of applicants. Her research and writing will focus on efforts to develop and strengthen Jewish identity through Jewish day school curricula and other Jewish educational institutions.
“It’s an honor to be selected as a 2021/2022 Krauthammer Fellow,” said Wapner. “I have always been a deep admirer of Charles Krauthammer z"l, who was not only an accomplished physician, writer and intellectual but a proud Jew. I look forward to participating in this exciting fellowship and I hope to develop my own voice as a Jewish writer and educator.”
Sponsored by Machon Siach and SAR High School, the Machon Siach Graduate Fellowship gathers 18 young professionals with Machon Siach faculty and guest speakers to discuss various topics confronting the American Modern Orthodox community, including religion and authority, sexuality in yahadut [Judaism], and money, materialism, and meaning.
“I am grateful and excited to be a part of this year’s group of Machon Siach fellows,” said Gelman. “The initial conversations I have had with the other members of the cohort show the passion and intelligence of this group, and I look forward to discussing and debating the complicated and complex topics and issues facing my community.”
The fellowship is directed by Zev Hait, with guidance from Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz, co-director of Machon Siach. Guest speakers include Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz, founding rabbi of Congregation Shaare Tefillah; Dr. Eliyahu Stern, associate professor of modern Jewish intellectual and cultural history in the departments of religious studies and history at Yale University; Ms. Shuli Taubes, faculty member at SAR High School; and Rabbi Tully Harcsztark, founding principal of SAR High School and dean of Machon Siach.
You can learn more about the Straus Center by signing up for our newsletter here. Be sure to also like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and connect with us on LinkedIn.