Center for Jewish History Grants Joseph S. Steinberg Fellowship to Emerging Documentary Filmmakers

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Jewish History, the nation's leading repository of Jewish history and experience, names its candidates for its inaugural Joseph S. Steinberg Emerging Jewish Filmmaker Fellowships for the 2011 academic year.  The candidates include: Rebecca Kahn Bloch and Emily Kennedy of Oberlin College for their joint project entitled: Radical Judaism in a Radical Campus: The Emergence of a New Jewish Community at Oberlin College, exploring the history of Jewish activity on American college campuses. This project will make extensive use of the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) collection covering Jewish Student Organizations on American campuses from 1907 through 2006.  Marianna Yaroslavka of University of Southern California is selected for her project entitled: Survival in Eastern Siberia: The Other Jewish Side, exploring a little-known area of Siberia, where a once thriving Yiddish community now struggles with its re-birth and survival.  This project will make extensive use of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and AJHS collections, housed at the Center.

"This initiative supports the use of our partners' collections through film and most importantly helps students with the costs associated with researching their work.  The goal of these documentaries is to shed light on aspects of Jewish life that might otherwise be forgotten," says Michael S. Glickman, Center for Jewish History COO.  "We are grateful to the Steinberg family for their vision in supporting filmmakers who are working within the vast archival collections at the Center."

In addition to the research conducted at the Center, the fellowship recipients will present their finished works in a public forum. Fellows are required to conduct on-site research for their respective filmmaking projects at the Center.  Each award carries a financial stipend of $2500.  Applications for the 2012 academic year will be available in May 2011.

For further information regarding the Center for Jewish History and how to apply, visit www.cjh.org.

About the Center for Jewish History:

The Center for Jewish History located in New York City is the nation's leading repository for books, documents, photos, ritual objects, art, and other materials that detail Jewish life around the world and across the centuries. It is home to five major institutions: American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

SOURCE Center for Jewish History