The Paula Hyman Mentorship Program invites applications for its 2026-2027 academic year cohort. The program was established in 2014 in memory of Professor Paula Hyman (1946–2011), a pioneering scholar of Jewish history and a dedicated mentor to women in Jewish Studies.
The program pairs emerging scholars with experienced mentors, while also building a strong network among the cohort through group workshops. Further, the program focuses on professional development for early career scholars from underrepresented genders. This can include cis women, trans women, trans men, non-binary people, and those who are otherwise marginalized for their gender identity.
Our primary programming this year will take place in-person on December 22-23 2026 immediately after the AJS Annual meeting. There will also be at least four required Zoom meetings in the 2026-2026 academic year, one in the fall and 3 or 4 in the spring.
Allison Shachter will host a workshop on how to prepare a competitive application for this and other programs on Tuesday, May 12 at 11:00 CST (9 am PST/12 pm EST/6 pm CEST). All who are interested in the program are welcome to join. Please register for the workshop via this link,
Applications are due May 30, 2026.
Please direct any questions about the program to Dr. Laura Yares at yareslau@msu.edu or Dr. Grace Kessler Overbeke at goverbeke@colum.edu.
Qualifications
Applicants must:
• Be current AJS members
• Have received or receive a PhD between January 1, 2020 and August 30, 2026
• Be available to attend the in-person workshop taking place December 22–23, 2026. We are committed to making conference attendance possible for everyone. If you have concerns relating to the
cost of attendance or dependent care obligations, know that we will do our utmost to make it feasible for you to attend.
Application Instructions
Complete applications, to be submitted through Google Forms, include:
• a CV
• a two-page cover letter including 1) a description of your current research and publications; 2) a statement about why you would like to participate in this specific mentorship program; 3) an explanation of why participation in the program this year would meet your current professional goals; 4) the specific guidance you would hope to receive from a mentor ; and 5) Optional: a list of up to three more senior scholars in Jewish studies who might serve as mentors. They need not be in the same subfield as the applicant. Please do not contact potential mentors. The program’s steering committee will reach out to these mentors and often looks for matches beyond the suggestions it receives.
To support the Hyman Mentorship Program, you can make a donation.
Congratulations to the 2025–2026 Paula Hyman Memorial Mentorship Program participants:
• Anastasiia Strakhova (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) with mentor Michal Raucher (Rutgers University)
• Nicolette van den Bogerd (Indiana University) with mentor Jessica Roda (Georgetown University)
• Emilie Amar-Zifkin (McGill University) with mentor Sharon Koren (HUC/NY)
• Ranana Dine (Catholic Theological Union) with mentor Ruth Langer (Boston College)
• Erin Faigin (Washington University in St. Louis) with mentor Rachel Kranson (University of Pittsburgh)
• Nathalie Ross (independent scholar) with mentor Laura Shaw Frank (AJC)
