We are proud to announce that one of our graduate students, Abigail Skalka has been awarded the Stefan Augustyniak Fellowship in Polish Studies to support her in Summer 2026 as she collects data in Poland for her publishable paper. This competitive fellowship is awarded to outstanding students who conduct research related to Poland in the Master’s in International and Regional Studies (MIRS) Program or any doctoral program at U-M.

Abbey’s project is focused on ethnoreligious identity formation among so-called “new Jews;” Poles who are not raised Jewish but discover Jewish roots later in life. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with new Jews as well as Jewish community leaders in 3 Polish cities — Warsaw, Wrocław, and Krakow — the project investigates why some people who discover Jewish roots embrace some form of Jewish identity, while others reject it. It also asks how shifting political and funding environments have changed the dynamics of Poland’s Jewish revival in recent years.

Congratulations, Abbey!