Fellowships

College Learning

Our College Learning program offers three opportunities for university students to immerse in Maharat learning and leadership: a weekly learning fellowship; a winter intensive; and an ambassador leadership program.

College Learning Fellowship

The College Learning Fellowship takes place over the course of the school year with a weekly shiur that delves into topics in halakha that require meta-halakhic or extra-halakhic imperatives, such as tza’ar, kevod hatzibur, kevod habriyot, pikuach nefesh, and kiddush hashem. Understanding these principles and applying them appropriately is crucial for psak halakha, and it is an art rather than a science.

This shiur is open to students of all genders who have experience learning Jewish text in its original language and who can navigate those texts without access to a translation. This shiur meets on Tuesday nights on Zoom from 7:30-8:45 pm ET from September through April, with breaks for chagim and winter break. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 17, 2026.

College Learning Intensive

Every January, Maharat hosts college students in our beit midrash during our annual College Learning Intensive. Over the course of the week, students will have a chance to learn together in person, meet Maharat students and faculty, and build community with other students from across the country. The four day program includes a daily gemara shiur, classes with various Maharat faculty members and with current Maharat students, two community lunches, one social evening, and one night of night seder. Everyone who is a College Learning Fellow is eligible to attend the Intensive cost-free, with housing and travel covered by Maharat. The next College Learning Intensive will take place from January 4-7, 2027 at Maharat in New York City.

Campus Ambassadors

Campus Ambassadors represent Maharat at their colleges through Maharat-sponsored programming and recruitment efforts while participating in Maharat learning programs. Campus ambassadors commit to planning at least three learning events on their campus over the course of the academic year, attending Maharat’s weekly college learning shiur, and attending the College Intensive at Maharat in January. They receive a stipend from Maharat, one-on-one mentorship from Maharat faculty, and the opportunity to plan national college events like our intensive and regional shabbatons. In March, we will be accepting applications for our second cohort of Maharat Campus Ambassadors.

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Past Fellows

Maharat is proud to count members of the College Learning Fellowship as part of our community. Launched in 2023, we have now had over 31 fellows:

Rutie Afriat
Bayla Alter
Arvind Asokan
Mayah Bernstein
Ilana Bramson
Ilana Brener
Tori Carroll
Esther Eisenstat
Maxine Lee Ewaschuk
Neima Fax
Devorah Feder ​
Ellia Ferneau
Leah Fischer
Miriam Goldberger
Emily Grodski
Chava Juni
Ellie Klibaner-Schiff
Sophia Kremer
Chana Lanter
Ayelet Lederman
Mateo Levin
Lee-El Messinger
Chava Nagel
Nava Oberstein
Sarah Papernik
Lilah Peck
Josephine Schizer
Sophie Schonberger
Hannah Shapiro
Tari Sztokman
Maya Tratt
Danelle Tuchman

College Ambassadors:

Ilana Bramson
Ellia Ferneau
Lee-El Messinger
Lilah Peck

Va’tichtov: She Writes

Va’tichtov elevates Jewish women’s voices and their scholarship by offering a diverse cohort the skills, support, and resources necessary to produce new content. ​​​​

Fellowship Description

The Vatichtov fellowship has three core components: a monthly seminar with scholars and experts in the cohort focus, a monthly meeting with a writing chevruta, and time with a Maharat-provided writing coach to sharpen arguments and produce a publishable work. At the end of each fellowship year, there is a final convening where fellows share their work with the wider community. The goal is for all work produced during Va’tichtov to be published, either in a Maharat journal or in outside publications.

Cohort Topics

The Va’tichtov fellowship is on a three year cycle, with each year having a particular focus. Our 2025-2026 cohort focused on teshuva writing. Our 2026-2027 cohort will be open to women who are working on books or other long form writing projects, like journal articles. Our 2027-2028 cohort will focus on journalism and op-eds.

Past Fellows

Va’tichtov launched in 2022, and over 40 women have benefited from the program. Meet our past fellows:

Rabbanit Myriam Ackermann-Sommer
Dr. Guila Benchimol
Tikva Blaukopf Schein
Rabbanit Shalhevet Cahana
Rabbi Jill Cozen-Harel
Rabba Dr. Yedida Eisenstat
Rabbanit Chana Even-Chen
Rabbanit Tanya Farber
Rabbi Jessica Fisher
Rabbi Sofia Freudenstein
Dr. Rachel Furst
Rabbanit Rachael Gelfman Schultz
Talya Gordon
Rabba Shani Gross
Rabbi Avigayil Halpern
Shayna Herszage-Feldan
Rabbi Naima Hirsch Gelman
Nomi Kaltmann
Morah Deborah Klapper
Rabbanit Michal Kohane
Rabbi Rina Krautwirth
Rabbi Sara Levy-Stevenson
Rabba Amy Newman
Catherine ‘Cat’ Nist
Sarah Osborne
Trobairitz Dana Pulver
Dani Rader
Rabbanit Chani Ravhon Klein
Yael Roberts
Rabbanit Dr. Tamar Ron Marvin
Bex Stern Rosenblatt
Naama Sadan
Rabbanit Shira Sapir
Shalhevet Schwartz
Rabbanit Sarah Segal-Katz
Michelle Shelemay Dvir
Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn
Rabbanit Talia Weisberg
Chachama Ya’ara Wiedman Samuel
Rabbanit Rivka Wietchner
Rabbi Amelia Wolf
Dalia Wolfson

Want to read some of our fellows published pieces?

“Asthenes” as a Jewish Textual Reference to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder– Published in The Lehrhaus by Shayna Herszage-Feldan

Leadership Through Retreat: A New Perspective on the Book of Esther
Published in The Lehrhaus by Naama Sadan

Jewish Law Invites Complex Questions On Abortion
Published in Religion Unplugged by Rabbanit Nomi Kaltmann