Fifteen Orthodox women were selected to join the inaugural Walder Fellowship cohort of Gratz College’s newest Ph.D. program. The fully funded, leadership-focused “Executive PhD in Jewish Studies” will equip a generation of thought leaders with high-caliber research and writing skills, and specialization in core areas of Jewish tradition, history and culture.
Gratz is pleased to announce the inaugural Walder Fellowship cohort:
- Adina Blaustein, Beachwood, Ohio
- Rachel Levitt Klein Dratch, Jerusalem
- Odelia Epstein, Silver Spring, Md.
- Rochelle Garfield, Houston
- Malka Hubscher, Efrat, Israel
- Yonina Bendheim Jacobson, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
- Chana Meira Katz, Los Angeles
- Naama Klar, Tel Aviv
- Talia (Molotsky) Mayefsky, Chicago
- Malka Popper, Los Angeles
- Racheli Taubes, New York
- Sara Susswein Tesler, Efrat, Israel
- Zissy Turner, Riverdale, N.Y.
- Ora Weinbach, Baltimore
- Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld, Washington, D.C.
“For so many Orthodox Jewish women, this fellowship is a dream come true,” said Leslie Ginsparg Klein, dean of Gratz College. “It provides these women with the opportunity to advance their education, build leadership skills, and gain a credential that will help them advance in their work, benefiting the entire community.”
The Walder Fellows will be fully integrated into the Executive PhD program led by Brendan Goldman, the Dr. Saul Philip Wachs chair of Jewish Life and Learning. The online-based program empowers students to engage deeply with Jewish history, culture, religion, language and texts. The Walder Fellows will participate in a co-curricular annual in-person leadership institute at Gratz’s new Bala Cynwyd, Pa., campus.
“So many Orthodox women are looking for ways to contribute to their community in meaningful and dignified ways, and we believe that this Executive PhD fellowship will result in the community becoming more knowledgeable, spiritually vibrant and well positioned to address future challenges and needs,” said Elizabeth Walder, CEO of Walder Foundation. “Advanced degrees can serve as a substantive recognized credential of the leadership and deep knowledge Orthodox women have to offer.”
Gratz president Zev Eleff expressed his gratitude to Walder Foundation, outlining what he believes was the key factor driving prospective student interest in the fellowship. “We are tremendously grateful to Walder Foundation for its investment in leadership development,” said Eleff. “Gratz received over 70 applications and inquiries, all highly qualified Orthodox women who saw in this program an opportunity to leverage Jewish studies and Jewish learning to obtain a more cogent voice and expertise in the Jewish community.”
Gratz officials anticipate that the total enrollment for the Jewish Studies PhD will reach around 50 students, rendering the program one of the largest of its kind. Most incoming students are nonprofit executives, managers, and community rabbis and educators. The curriculum was designed by Goldman and complements the college’s field-leading Holocaust and Genocide Studies doctoral program, aiming to provide flexibility for Jewish nonprofit leaders and educators in search of rigorous professional development and credentialing.
“Our program offers female Orthodox leaders the opportunity to engage with the depth and breadth of the Jewish tradition and Jewish wisdom,” Goldman says. “While most universities have retreated from Jewish studies in the aftermath of Oct. 7, Gratz has decided that this is precisely the moment to double down on our investment in Jewish education to ensure a more vibrant future leadership for our communities as they face unprecedented challenges.”