Student Awards and Prizes

The Department of Judaic Studies sustains a proud tradition of regularly awarding scholarships and prizes to outstanding students. Established by devoted alumni, families, community leaders, and patrons of Jewish studies, the awards recognize the talent, achievement, and hard work of University of Cincinnati students from year to year. The Department faculty encourages all interested U.C. students to apply for one or more of the awards listed below. Preference for awards and scholarships will be given to Judaic Studies majors and minors, but everyone is welcome to apply. Please note that the deadline for applications varies.  Good luck!

Each applicant must submit a cover letter explaining his/her interest in Judaic Studies and setting forth a rationale for use of the award. Applications should also include a brief resume and a list of references (including at least one Judaic Studies faculty member). Please be sure to indicate your year in school, major, phone number, and email address. All applications should be addressed to Dr. Matthew Kraus,  Department Head, Department of Judaic Studies, University of Cincinnati, 2428B French Hall West, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0169.

Deadline January 15, 2024

The MOSES award is given each year to a student majoring or intending to major in Judaic Studies. Qualified students are eligible to apply for the MOSES scholarship for the 2023-2024 school year and a student may receive up to $2000.00. For information regarding eligibility and any other questions about the MOSES scholarship contact the head of the Judaic Studies Department, Dr. Matthew Kraus at 556-2297 or matthew.kraus@uc.edu.

Deadline April 5, 2024

This prize is awarded by Nancy Felson in memory of her aunt, Selma Raphaelson, is an annual prize of an amount to be determined to be given to a graduating senior with the best overall record in Judaic Studies. Graduating Judaic Studies majors, minors, and certificate students will automatically be considered for this award.

Deadline April 12, 2024

The Harry E. Bloch Prize is awarded for proficiency in Hebrew language study. Students currently enrolled in any level of Hebrew are eligible to apply. Applicants must submit an essay in Hebrew on any topic; fiction and non-fiction entries will be considered. Essays will be judged on the basis of accuracy, style, and originality. The length of the essays should be as follows: 1) First-year students—200-250 words; 2) Second-year students—350-400 words; 3) Third-year students—over 500 words. Prizes of up to $150 are awarded annually at the discretion of the Department to the winning entries for each Hebrew level.

Deadline April 12, 2024

The Gertrude and Herbert Gettler Prize may be used to pay for travel and/or tuition expenses for a student wishing to study at an Israeli university (Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Haifa University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute). In addition to the application materials noted above, students who wish to be considered for the Gettler Scholarship must submit an 800-1000 word essay detailing their study plans, including the kinds of course work they wish to undertake, how the proposed program fits into their undergraduate career, how they intend to finance their trip, and whether they are applying for other resources to support their travel. Scholarships of up to $1000 are awarded annually at the discretion of the Department to meritorious students. Release of the award is conditional upon formal acceptance into an Israeli university program.

Deadline April 5, 2024

The David Green Memorial Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding Judaic Studies major. It may also be awarded to an outstanding minor with at least 12 credits earned in Judaic Studies who has contributed significantly to the life of the Department. All majors with at least 12 credits will be considered automatically. In addition to the application materials noted above, any minor who wishes to be considered should submit a copy of his/her DPA. Prizes of up to $450 are awarded annually at the discretion of the Department to meritorious students.

Deadline April 12, 2024

The Daniel J. Ransohoff Scholarship may be used to support summer study related to Judaic Studies. Preference will be given to proposals for language study programs and Jewish studies programs for which other sources of funding are generally less available—with special emphasis on study in Israel—but other programs will also be considered. In addition to the application materials noted above, students who wish to be considered for the Ransohoff Scholarship must submit an 800-1000 word essay detailing their study plans, including the kinds of course work they wish to undertake, how the proposed program fits into their undergraduate career, how they intend to finance their trip, and whether they are applying for other resources to support their studies. Scholarships are awarded annually at the discretion of the Department to meritorious students. Release of the award is conditional upon formal acceptance into a bona fide academic summer program.