Yiddish

Funding for Yiddish Language Study

Support for Yiddish 101 students: Beginning Yiddish Scholarship

• Prospective or current Yiddish 101 students can apply here to receive a $1,000 scholarship (limited number available).  
• Students need to submit an essay, video, zine, or other creative project that explains why learning Yiddish is meaningful to them. 
• Students subsequently must commit to enrolling in Yiddish 101 and 102. 
• Timing: Students can apply before they start taking Yiddish, as early as July 1 before the Fall semester begins. 
• In order to enforce this obligation, the first half of the prize ($500) will be deposited after the drop deadline of fall semester, the second half ($500) after the drop deadline of winter semester.
• Students will be informed if they will be awarded this scholarship within two weeks of the drop/add deadline for the Fall semester.

Yiddish Fellowship for Yiddish 201

• All students enrolled in third semester Yiddish (Yiddish 201) will receive a $250 Yiddish Fellowship from the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies. 
• The Fellowship will be processed to the student's account in December.

Beginner Yiddish Summer Program Support

• Students can receive generous partial funding from Judaic Studies to attend a summer program that will provide language skills equivalent to completing Yiddish 101 & 102. 
• This will allow students to enroll directly in Yiddish 201 upon returning to the University of Michigan. 
• Judaic Studies will support students attending these programs, so long as the student agrees to enroll in Yiddish 201 & 202 at the University of Michigan the following semesters. 
• Eligible programs have to provide at least 6 weeks of daily classes. 
• Students must attend conversation classes as part of the program. 
• Judaic Studies will provide financial support for tuition, lodging, and airfare (up to $5,000).  
• Students must first request financial support from the program itself, and show evidence of any other support they are requesting and/or receiving. 
• Judaic Studies will adjust its support based on how much other funding is available. 
• All funding is subject to approval by the Yiddish Language Program Director and the Judaic Studies Executive Committee. 

Eligible programs include:    

• YIVO Yiddish Summer Program (New York) (Beginner level; transfer credits likely)
• Steiner Summer Yiddish Program (Massachusetts) (Beginner level; transfer credits likely)
• Note: Students may apply for funding for other programs, contingent upon approval by the Yiddish Program Director and Executive Committee

Supplementary Yiddish Program Support (Intermediate and advanced)

• For students who are completing or have completed Yiddish 201 & 202 at the University of Michigan, support that can be requested for supplementary Yiddish programs. 
• Judaic Studies will support tuition, lodging, and airfare (up to $5,000). 
• A student can only partake in this support once. 
• Students must first request financial support from the program itself, and Judaic Studies may adjust its support depending on the availability of other support. 
• After completing the program, students must write a short blog post on their experience.
• All funding is subject to approval by the Yiddish Language program director and the Judaic Studies Executive Committee. 

Check out the 2025-2026 Outstanding Yiddish Award recipient's speech, beginning at 29:49.