Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York Academic Scholarships

Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York offers a number of scholarships for college and graduate school students based on merit and/or financial need. 

The Abraham & Eleanor Staff College Scholarship 

 $4,250 grant available

The family of the recipient must reside in Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga, Glens Falls or the immediate surrounding area. (If your family does not reside in this area, please do not apply.) The applicant must have been raised as and consider him/herself to be Jewish and display leadership qualities in general and Jewish activities.

The applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.50 (or an 88 cumulative average) in high school and taken at least some Advanced Placement and/or Honors courses in high school. The recipient of the award must be between the ages of 17 and 24.

Although not an eligibility requirement of this scholarship, selection of a recipient will show priority to otherwise deserving candidates who choose to demonstrate financial need. To do so, the applicant’s parents must show a copy of their most recent tax returns for the preceding two years as part of the application, each parent separately if they have not filed together. If there are financial circumstances not easily gleaned from the tax return, please include a letter of explanation. A candidate will not be disqualified from consideration for failing to demonstrate financial need.

If the recipient maintains a cumulative grade point of at least 3.25 in college and is on track to complete an undergraduate degree within four consecutive years, recipient will be automatically eligible to receive the scholarship each year for up to four years.

Interested applicants should submit the academic scholarship application form, a letter of application, high school transcripts, and any additional information the applicant wishes to have considered by the committee.

David and Rose Udelson Bray Scholarship 

$2,000 grant available

The Fund is intended to benefit students, preferably Jewish, to help subsidize the expense of a college education, to be disbursed at the rate of $2,000 per year to a different student each year. Priority will be given to students who grew up in the geographic area served by Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York (Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga, Glens Falls or immediate surrounding areas).

Medwin/Krouner Pharmacy Scholarship 

 $1,025 grant available

The Fund provides a stipend to a Jewish student (or students) at Albany College of Pharmacy. The recipient will be chosen based on character, academic record, service to the Jewish community as demonstrated through interests, activities, and financial need. These criteria will be assessed through the academic scholarship form, a letter of application, references and, if the committee requests, a personal interview.

Judith Littman Wax and Oscar Ben Zion Wax Scholarship

$4,100 grant available

The Fund provides a scholarship to an outstanding young Jewish woman, who grew up in the Capital District, to enable her to enrich her Jewish learning through study or travel. If you did not grow up in the Capital District, please do not apply.

The recipient must be enrolled in a program that has the purpose and focus of enriching Jewish knowledge.

The program may be a formal educational program, a tour that includes a Jewish focus on Jewish sites, yeshiva learning, college studies with a preponderance of Judaic Studies courses, or other educational opportunity that will enrich the recipient’s Jewish learning.

The grant should be used following high school graduation and is available to any outstanding Jewish woman during her undergraduate study years. (A woman who returns to school later in life is eligible if the applicant studies at the undergraduate level.)

The recipient must have a commitment to her Jewish identity. A range of criteria will be considered when reviewing applications including, but not limited to, the applicant’s academic performance (transcript required), Jewish community involvement, evidence of Jewish community leadership, talents, interests, and other factors that the applicant wishes to share with the committee. The grant is based solely on merit, not financial need.

Graduate Student Scholarships

Axelrod-Lichtenstein Scholarship 

 $825 grant available

184 Washington Avenue Ext. | Albany, NY 12203-5306 (518) 783-7800 | dgoldstein@jewishfedny.org

The Fund provides a merit scholarship to a Jewish medical-school student who is in good standing at an accredited medical school and studying for an M.D. degree. The applicant must have completed at least one year of medical school.

Medical school transcript is required. The committee will consider volunteer activities and other interests. The grant is based solely on merit, not financial need; however, if there is more than one suitable applicant and one has a greater financial need than the other(s), the committee has the discretion to consider financial need when awarding the grant.

Paul M. Gans Scholarship 

 $740 grant available

The Fund provides a scholarship to a graduate student studying toward a career in Jewish communal service, including such fields as the rabbinate, the cantorate, Jewish education, Jewish social work, etc. Priority will be given to those individuals who establish academic ability and/or financial need.

Hilda & Dr. John Lanzkron Medical Scholarship 

 $345 grant available

The Fund provides a scholarship to a Jewish medical-school student in good standing at an accredited medical school. Medical school transcript is required. The committee will consider volunteer activities and other interests.

Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York (Federation) seeks applicants who support Israel as a democratic Jewish state and who demonstrate values that align with the mission of the Federation. (Mission available on our website.) Further, Federation retains the right to revoke grants from recipients who participate in behavior that works against the interests of Israel or is antithetical to the Federation’s mission.

Please review the information provided on this flyer for scholarship requirements and email or send the academic scholarship application form, letters of interest, and any information you want the committee to consider to Deborah Goldstein.