Teaching Fellowship to Combat Campus Antisemitism

Since October 7, it has become unmistakably clear that the effort to institutionalize antisemitism and discrimination is not episodic—it’s strategic, coordinated and long term. The response must be strategic and long term, too.

The Touro University Teaching Fellowship to Combat Campus Antisemitism, in association with National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), is a new initiative designed to help university professors build and teach rigorous undergraduate and graduate courses—within their existing academic specialties—that strengthen campus understanding of antisemitism, civil rights protections and the modern challenges facing Jewish students and Israel today.

This fellowship is about reclaiming the campus as a serious place for scholarship, fairness and safety—through the most powerful tool available to universities—the classroom.

This program exists because too many campuses lack both the faculty capacity and the academic infrastructure to counter the normalization of anti-Jewish bias. The Touro University Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship, in association with NJAC, invests in professors willing to meet this moment with scholarship, courage and pedagogical excellence.

Fellows’ Responsibilities

Selected fellows commit to:

• Participate in a hybrid teaching workshop (one-week in-person retreat plus six weekly virtual workshops)
• Develop a new undergraduate course and teach it at least twice
• Contribute to evaluation tools and outcomes assessment
• Submit a final report at the end of the project cycle

Who Should Apply

We welcome proposals from professors teaching or researching in areas such as:

• Political Science and International Relations
• Legal Studies
• History
• Jewish Studies
• Sociology
• Anthropology
• Adjacent fields in which your expertise can support meaningful, credible undergraduate instruction

What Fellows Receive

Fellows receive practical, high-impact support to design a course and deliver it successfully:

A High-Impact Pedagogy Retreat

Fellows attend a week-long, in-person summer retreat built around practical teaching tools and serious content.

• History of U.S. and global antisemitism
• Legal frameworks governing discrimination and civil rights protections
• Practical advocacy tools to understand and counter bias, hate crimes and systemic discrimination
• Led by subject-matter experts in antisemitism and law, with Touro University curricular specialists
• Accommodations in New York City will be provided to all participants

Course-Building Support From Start to Finish

Fellows receive structured support before, during and after the retreat to build a course that works in the real world.

• Pre-retreat virtual meetings in small groups by scholarly interest
• Small-group workshops and one-on-one guidance during the retreat
• Post-retreat virtual curriculum workshop series to refine and strengthen the course for implementation

Fellowship Funding

Fellows receive a $5,000 stipend paid across program milestones:

• $1,000 after participating in the five-day retreat
• $2,000 after teaching the course the first time
• $2,000 after teaching the course the second time and submitting a final report

A National Network of Like-Minded Educators

Fellows join a community of faculty leaders across the U.S. who are committed to scholarship, campus integrity and support for Jewish students.

Selection and Cohort Size

Up to 10 proposals will be selected for each cohort.

Strong proposals will demonstrate:

• Clear alignment with the fellowship’s mission and values
• Realistic understanding of the applicant’s campus culture and needs
• Feasibility and implementation planning
• Potential to strengthen an interdisciplinary faculty network

Apply to Join the Founding Cohort

If you’re ready to develop an undergraduate course that builds intellectual clarity, civil-rights literacy and meaningful support for Jewish students, we invite you to apply to the inaugural fellowship cohort. Your proposal should include:

1. Cover letter (one page)
• Your interest in the fellowship and how your expertise aligns with its mission
• The course you want to build/teach and why it matters on your campus
2. Course proposal
• Proposed course title and catalog-style description (150-250 words)
• Implementation plan: term(s) you expect to offer it, format (seminar/lecture), likely enrollment and any approval steps
• Campus context: what need this addresses and how it will be received at your institution
3. Curriculum vitae (CV)
4. Institutional support statement (email/letter)
• From a chair/dean/program director or a brief statement from you if formal support isn't feasible yet
• Should address feasibility (ability to offer the course, approvals and expected timeline)