The Covenant Foundation has long been invested in Jewish family education. Former Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation, Harlene Winnick Appelman, z”l, was herself a family educator. This fellowship was launched in 2023 to honor her legacy and carry on the bold, visionary work required to build the field of Jewish family education for generations to come.

What is the opportunity?

The Covenant Foundation’s Jewish Family Education Fellowship honors an outstanding Jewish family education professional, giving them the time, space, and kavod required to nurture and grow bold ideas that enrich the field.

The fellow will receive:

• A $50,000 Fellowship Grant
• Support from The Covenant Foundation’s team to inform and enrich your work
• Access to a broad network of outstanding leaders in Jewish education
• A platform for publishing

What does it mean to be a fellow?

The Covenant Foundation Jewish Family Education Fellow becomes a true partner with Covenant in advancing the field of Jewish family education. Over the course of one year, the fellow will:

• Create and Innovate: Do you have a big dream for Jewish family education? The fellow will research and test new approaches for learning and engagement strategies that will benefit Jewish families across the country.
• Network and Share: Innovation happens in relationship. The fellow will connect with leaders in Jewish education, becoming integrated with the Foundation’s extensive network (including, but not limited to, grantee organizations, Covenant Award recipients, and Pomegranate Prize recipients).
• Reflect and Influence: We learn by reflecting on experience; we influence by sharing those reflections with others. The fellow will grow their thought leadership by writing about their insights for Sight Line (The Covenant Foundation’s digital journal) and other prominent publications.

Who should apply?

Educators working in any nonprofit, academic, or Jewish education setting in North America are eligible to apply, including those running their own organizations.

Applicants must:

• Have significant, demonstrated experience and expertise in Jewish family education as a practice and/or a field of study
• Bring an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit to their work
• Approach their efforts with generosity of spirit, and the ability to be both self-directed and collaborative
• Have strong writing skills
• Have a master’s degree or higher (graduate degree preferred, but not required)

The goals and expectations of the fellowship are best met in combination with a sabbatical year or part-time/freelance employment. This fellowship is not compatible with a full-time position — the fellow should expect to spend approximately 20 hours/week on these activities, as well as participate in 2-3 Covenant events throughout the year. Your schedule will be self-directed.

The innovative programming the fellow develops is intended to be broadly applicable. The Fellowship project should have potential for significant impact on Jewish communities across the country, well beyond the walls of the fellow’s current organization or any single institution.

The Jewish Family Education Fellowship is one crucial piece of a much bigger effort to enrich the field of Jewish family education. We are eager to meet our next partner in this work.

Please note that funding may be used in many ways, including but not limited to creating and publishing curricula and study guides, hiring consultants, travel expenses, to support a fellow’s time working on a project, and other resources for educators. Funding cannot support the production of materials such as educational games.

Have questions? Contact us here.