The Foundation for Jewish Culture and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation awarded the university's Jewish Studies Program an $80,000 grant to fund a two-year postdoctoral teaching fellowship.
Paul Zakrzewski, representative from The Foundation for Jewish Culture, said the university was one of six schools chosen for the Jewish Studies Expansion Project, which works to improve Jewish studies programs at universities.
"The whole point of the program is to help schools that were underserved," Zakrzewski said.
David Silver, associate professor of philosophy and director of the Frank and Yetta Chaiken Center for the Jewish Studies Program, said he applied for the grant due to student demand for more Jewish courses as well as the opportunity to have a professor who identified himself as a Jewish Studies scholar.
The teaching fellow will be responsible for teaching four courses per year, one of which will be based on his area of expertise. He will also organize a series of lectures once a year, Silver said.
"There will be four courses a year that weren't offered before now," he said. "Also there will be somebody on campus who is a visible advocate for the Jewish Studies program."
Although a teaching fellow has not been chosen yet, a decision will hopefully be made by the end of March, Silver said. Also, within the next few months there will be public lectures at the university given by possible candidates.
Thomas Apple, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the grant will raise the visibility of the Jewish Studies Program at the university and increase the number of opportunities available to students.
"If you have a program that raises funds from outside it shows high quality," he said. "It is an outward sign that we have an excellent program."
When choosing schools, Zakrzewski looked for universities that had demand from students, enthusiasm from faculty and schools where he thought the program would be successful.
"We had to make the case that we had the capacity and demand by students," Silver said.
Zakrzewski said originally 40 schools applied for the grant. After narrowing down to 12 finalists, Zakrzewski visited the schools, talking to students and faculty.
"We hope it creates lots of enthusiasm among students and helps the administration see the value in Jewish studies," he said.
Zakrzewski said when looking at the university he saw there were many Jewish students looking for more Jewish Studies courses. Also, he said that Silver showed a lot of enthusiasm for the program.
"Silver was somebody who would help to shepherd this program," Zakrzewski said.
Silver said that although this is a two-year program, it is possibly renewable.
"If the fellow comes to campus and the students respond, hopefully, the teaching fellow can become a permanent addition to the Jewish Studies Program," he said.
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