UJA Graduate Fellowship
Program

The fellowship offers a range of scholarships, all of which are intended for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the Jewish nonprofit sector. In addition, we offer scholarships that are specifically geared toward students who wish to pursue a career with UJA-Federation of New York. Scholarship availability varies based on merit and need, and applicants will be considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible.

Fellowships are awarded for a maximum of two years and must be applied toward tuition. All accepted fellows will participate in the UJA Graduate Fellowship cohort. More information about the types of scholarships offered can be found below.

UJA offers scholarships for students interested in working within one of our partner agencies, grantees, day schools, or synagogues. We consider applicants pursuing graduate degrees in:

• Cantorial studies
• Clinical psychology
• Jewish education
• Nonprofit business administration
• Nonprofit management
• Public administration
• Rabbinic ordination
• Social work
• Special education
• Other relevant fields

Please contact us to determine whether your program is eligible for consideration. This is an opportunity to receive a scholarship of up to $10,000 a year for up to two years.

In order to apply for a scholarship, applicants must:

Have an interest in interning and/or working within the Jewish nonprofit sector

Study in the New York Area for the next two years

Be a United States citizen or permanent resident

Attend or plan to attend school in the upcoming academic year

Attention rabbinical students: UJA is a strong proponent of rabbinical students studying in Israel. Please note that because the fellowship is a continuous program, all two-year participants must be in the New York area for two consecutive years. We encourage rabbinical students to apply either for the two years before or the two years after your year in Israel.

Fellowship Requirements Include:

Learning Seminars: Our community of learners is diverse, and each fellow brings a different lens to their work. Let’s learn from and with each other. Participate in six learning seminars on topics relevant to work in the Jewish nonprofit sector. Seminars will take place six times a year in various locations.

Community Engagement: We want our fellows to have their ears on the ground and engage with community as they learn in the classroom. Students required by their program to intern, and who have at least one year of internship remaining in their program, will be required to intern with a Jewish nonprofit organization, Jewish day school, or synagogue in the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, or Westchester. This is particularly relevant for social work students. Fellows with no New York internship requirement or work commitment will be required to engage in a community event, site visit, or volunteer opportunity three times during the academic year. Volunteer on MLK Day. Learn at BASE Hillel. Attend an antipoverty conference at UJA. A full list of suggestions and guidelines will be provided for fellows to select.  In year two, students without a work commitment or internship requirement will be asked to develop a project with an organization in UJA’s network of organizations.

Commitment to the Jewish Nonprofit Sector: Our goal is to develop high-quality professionals for work in the Jewish nonprofit sector. Fellows will commit to at least one year of employment after graduation within a Jewish nonprofit organization, Jewish day school, or synagogue, preferably in the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, or Westchester.

The application for the 2025-2026 Fellowship is now open, and will close on March 3, 2025.  You can find the application here. Please contact if you have any questions while filling out the application.