This fellowship opportunity is for students participating full time in the Pardes Year/Semester program. The Hilkhot Nashim Fellow will work together with Rahel Berkovits on the organizing, researching and production of articles for a third volume of the Hilkhot Nashim Series published by Koren. To review the prior volumes edited by Rahel Berkovits, see volume one and volume two.
The Hilkhot Nashim series presents an in-depth review of laws relating to women in Jewish ritual life. Tracing the development of responses on a given topic – from Talmudic to Geonic to medieval to modern – each chapter reproduces all relevant halakhic sources in both Hebrew and English. The sources are contextualized and clarified, their language closely parsed, and their effects on subsequent posekim explained. This guided exploration of the halakhic process exposes readers to the rich tapestry of Jewish legal literature, its concerns and considerations, and the full complexity of the issues it braves.
Fellowship Structure
The fellow will work closely with Rahel in preparing articles for publication. The fellow will help with collecting halakhic sources, translating, editing, proofreading, and cross-referencing written materials in preparation for publication.
Skills of Research Fellow
- Very strong Hebrew/text skills, facility in deciphering and translating rabbinic/halakhic texts and commentaries.
- Transliteration skills
- Superb attention to detail
- Proven editing/proofreading experience
- Strong organization capabilities
- Ability to see the larger picture of a writing project
- Capacity to meet deadlines
- Collaborative working style
- An avid interest in halakha and its development and a concern for women’s participation in ritual
Specific Fellowship Requirements
- 5 hours/week including meetings with the faculty advisor at Monday’s night seder
- Participation in Rahel’s Women and Halakha Fall Semester course
Fellowship Award
- All fellows will receive a guaranteed living expense grant ranging from $200-$600/month (exact amount determined by financial need) AND receive highly subsidized Year Program tuition: $3,000 discount for those not eligible for Masa Israel Journey funding, and $2,000 discount for those eligible for Masa funding.
- A letter of recommendation from a supervisor who can speak to the candidate’s relevant community experience and potential growth and contributions through the fellowship is required. This may be one of the two letters of recommendation required for the Year program application, or an additional recommendation. The letter must be submitted along with the Fellowship Application and the 2023-24 Pardes Year Program application.
