Available only through JFCS, the Manovill Holocaust History Fellowship offers high school students in grades 11 and 12 a rare opportunity to study the Holocaust and patterns of genocide at the college level. Each year, a small number of fellows are selected to conduct in-depth research into the nature of the Holocaust and other genocides and to gain the skills that will allow them to serve as effective advocates for strengthening respect in the Bay Area.
The seven-month fellowship emphasizes experiential learning. Participants hear from local Holocaust survivors, pursue research on topics of their choice, teach their peers, and participate in community events. Upon successful completion of the fellowship, students are credited with up to 60 hours of community service.
Fellowship Components
A school year as a fellow includes:
• Connections with local Holocaust survivors: Fellows have the opportunity to learn firsthand from those who fled Germany, Poland, and other Nazi-occupied countries, and survived concentration camps, such as Auschwitz and Ravensbrück, before starting new lives in the Bay Area.
• Research in the Tauber Holocaust Library and Archives: Over the course of the year, fellows conduct research using both primary and secondary sources. At the conclusion of the program, fellows write a college-level thesis on a topic of their choice.
• Promotion of education and tolerance: By creating their own lesson plan and teaching it to students at their school, fellows enhance their understanding of the value of remembrance, the importance of Holocaust education, and the connection between the Holocaust and current genocides.
• Enhanced Media Literacy: Fellows will enhance their media literacy by working with the USC Shoah Foundation’s iWitness program. Through this project, students learn the value of Holocaust or genocide survivors’ oral history testimony in the study of history and the importance of bearing witness.
• Flexible schedules: Fellows lead busy lives: school, sports, clubs, homework, and other activities. The fellowship allows participants to choose when they want to work in the Tauber Holocaust Library, conduct research, and work on their thesis project.
The application period for the Manovill Fellowship is now closed. Please check back in Summer 2018 for information on next year’s program. For questions or additional information, please contact Yedida Kanfer, Manager of Library, Archives, and Education Services, at YedidaK@jfcs.org or 415-449-3748.
