A Summer of Scholarship

Sam Shuman

Conducting research in Antwerp, Belgium, and participating in a language program in Flemish at the University of Antwerp

“Funding from the Frankel Center has permitted me to live in Antwerp's Hasidic neighborhood, to immerse myself in its local moral economy, and to continue my ethnographic fieldwork and historical research around the reconfiguration of Antwerp's Hasidic labor force following the Belgian regulation of the diamond industry.”

Shira Schwartz

Participating in a co-working program modeled after the yeshiva, Detroit

“I thought, what if we had an academic co-working space, much like a yeshiva, that would re-frame the sociality of academic research?... This is how the idea for Detroit City Study was born, to launch a co-learning space in the city that would support collaborative graduate student research and community learning together.”

Alyssa Hofwegen

Internship at the Haifa Municipal Department of Community Social Work through the University of Haifa School of Social Work

“Interning in Haifa strengthened my professional competency as a global social worker to develop new skills that will inform my practice in future social work settings.”

John Mathews

Studying Gaga movement, Batsheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv

“As a dancer, making connections is an extremely important part of my career, so meeting all of these incredible dancers from all over the world in Israel was an incredible opportunity.”

Noie Porat

Studying Gaga movement, Batsheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv

“I enjoyed working closely with the Batsheva dancers, allowing me to further explore and understand this fascinating movement language.”

Nia Willis

Attending global seminar on how athletics can facilitate peace between Arabs and Israelis

“My overseas experience helped me realize how much I have a passion for social justice issues and traveling, and how I would love to shape my career around these two passions.”

Deborah Forger

Participating and presenting at the 6th Enoch Seminar Nengeroni Meeting, Italy

“Over the past year, I have been working with the other co-chairs of this meeting, including Gabriele Boccaccini, to organize and gather together an international group of specialists on a topic directly related to my dissertation.”

Dory Fox

Studying Yiddish at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, New York

“This program helped me further develop my hold on the multilingual aspect of Jewish American literature.”

Michail Kitsos

Attending the Nishma program at The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York

“This is a unique opportunity to study rabbinic texts in a hevruta and to improve my modern Hebrew language skills."

Hannah Roussel

Attending the Nishma program at The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York

“By allowing me to study Talmud and Hebrew deeply this summer, Nishma is bettering two of the essential skills for my graduate work.”

Yaakov Herskovitz

"Upon completing my dissertation, I plan to pursue an academic appointment and continue my research of bilingual Jewish literature."

Kelly Onickel

"I am currently the cantorial soloist at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, MI. I plan to stay there and work towards becoming an ordained/certified cantor... My education at UM has already helped me in my profession and I am sure it will help in the years to come."

Polina Fradkin

"In the future I hope to continue my education, learn many more languages, learn to play the Portuguese guitar, learn Morse code, learn to swing dance, never stop having adventures, and hopefully make a small difference in the world."