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The Jewish studies program annually awards prizes for the best essays and projects in the field of Jewish studies.

Categories include:

  1. Best Undergraduate Paper
  2. Best Graduate Paper
  3. Best Short Paper
  4. Best Honor’s Thesis
  5. Best Creative Project


Who is eligible to apply for the Jewish Studies Essay Contest?

Any full-time student who wrote a paper or made a project on a Jewish studies topic during Spring 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026. Students of any class standing are eligible to apply.
 
You need not be a Jewish studies student, nor does the paper or project have to have been written for a Jewish studies class. The important factor is the topic. As long as you wrote a paper or made a project in the field of Jewish studies, you can submit it for this contest. Please note: only Jewish Studies majors, minors, and certificate students (Biblical Studies; Holocaust and Genocide Studies) are eligible to receive prize money.


How do I apply?

To apply, please submit

  • Your paper or project with a one-page cover sheet. Essays must be submitted in the form of a Word Document with only a title. If you cannot submit your creative project using a Word document, please make arrangements with Rob Jones (Assistant Director).
  • Cover sheet should include the title of your paper or project, your name, and the course and professor it was submitted for. Please note whether you are pursuing a Jewish Studies major, minor, or certificate.

If you receive a Jewish Studies Essay or Project Award, we will ask you to submit a short bio about yourself to be featured on our website. In addition, you may be asked to write a brief blog post about your paper and research to publish on the website and social media.

Applications Due: April 6, 2026

Apply Now

Once you submit your application, your information will be emailed to the Jewish Studies committee for review. If you have any questions, including about whether or not your paper fits our eligibility requirements, please contact Director of Jewish Studies Professor Tommaso M. Milani or the Assistant Director Rob Jones.

Additional Questions

Students are competing for one of three top places. First place receives an award of $500, second place receives an award of $300, and third place receives an award of $200.

All prizes will be award at the Jewish Studies award ceremony at the end of the academic year. Winners will be notified prior to the ceremony.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Rob Jones, the assistant director of Jewish Studies (rej5233@psu.edu).

Previous Award Winners

1st Place
Master’s Director’s Fund Essay Prize Recipient:
“Resurgent Antisemitism: The Threat of Viktor Orban and His Political Arsenal” by Jacob Green

2nd Place
Master’s Director’s Fund Essay Prize Recipient:
“Ugly Jews in the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man” by Morgan Seiff

3rd Place
Harris and Zelma Freedman Scholarship Essay Prize Recipient:
“Solomon’s Temple: Historical Sources, Accuracy, and Reconstruction” by Dov Gordan

2026 Award Winners

Undergraduate Research Prize:

1st Place

Samuel Levine

“Refuge Halfway Around the World:
Jewish Refugees in Shanghal’s Hongkou Ghetto during WWII”

2nd Place

Oli Patchell

“Monstrosity and Horror in the Book of Joel”

3rd Place

Lucas Kramer

“Understanding the Differing Ideologies of Religious Judaism within the Context of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”

4th Place

Emily Rosio

“Understanding the Differing Ideologies of Religious Judaism within the Context of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”

Undergraduate Short Paper Prize:

1st Place

Emily Rosio

“Photograph Analysis:
Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, Shaving a Woman’s Hair”

2nd Place

Lily Chacko

“Media Analysis Paper”

Graduate Paper Prize:

Winner

Suchitra Harnahalli

“Language Manipulation and the Nazis”

Undergraduate Thesis Prize:

Winner

Arda Wuyts

“The Gifted”

Harris and Zelma Freedman Scholarship for Academic Excellence in Jewish Studies:

Winners

Tori Korman

Oli Patchell

Murray J. and Helene Freed Brill Student Award in Jewish Studies:

Winner

Josh Reiff

Wagner and Grossman Awards for Best Undergraduate Essay:

1st Place

Arik Migirov

2nd Place

Jonathan Weinstein

3rd Place

Jared Schwartz

Lori Master Award for Best Short Essay:

1st Place

Kay Rolland

2nd Place

John Weisser

3rd Place

Francisco Verdugo

Jewish Studies Award for Best Creative Project:

Winner

Kendall Kutzavitch

Richard W. and June R. Duffine Prize for Best Graduate Essay:

Winner

Michael McLaughlin

Reuben and Lizzie Grossman Award for Best Thesis:

Winner

Aimee Thompson