Jewish Studies Student Awards and Prizes

The Program in Jewish Studies distributes the following awards each year:

The Dessau Scholarship established in memory of Grace Dessau, a Holocaust survivor, by her children. Without a formal education, and not knowing the language, her sheer persistence and determination drove her to raise a family in the U.S. and eventually earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Queens College with a minor in Jewish History. Grace was a true believer in her Jewish faith and heritage, which gave her the strength to persevere and prosper despite the horrors that she lived through. The scholarship is awarded to one student annually who is a major or minor in Jewish Studies with an outstanding academic record. Preference is given to students with an interest in Holocaust Studies.

Miriam & Morris Flatow Memorial Award supported by Arnold Flatow in memory of his parents. The award is given to the graduating major in Jewish Studies with the highest GPA.

William Fenster Memorial Scholarship established by his wife, Marian Fenster. The Scholarship is given to the junior minoring in Jewish Studies with the highest GPA.

The Shulamit Lisa Gabow Scholarship Endowment Fund established by Jack and Lisa Gabow. The scholarship is given each semester to a sophomore or junior majoring in Jewish Studies with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Jan and Leonore Sinnreich Award for Writing Excellence made possible by Deborah Sinnreich Levi in memory of her parents Jan and Leonore Sinnreich. The award is presented to the student who has written the best undergraduate paper in a Jewish Studies course during the academic year.

The M. Hratch Zadoian Student Essay Prize in Holocaust Studies established by M. Hratch Zadoian, former Queens College Vice President for Finance and Business, in memory of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau. The award is bestowed upon the student author of the best essay on the Holocaust or on other forms of genocide.

Ruth Hollander Award made possible by Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, is given to a graduating senior who will pursue Jewish Studies at the graduate level.

Center for Jewish Studies Award established by the Queens College Center for Jewish Studies on behalf of the Program in Jewish Studies. The award is granted to a student who has contributed to the activities of the academic Program on campus.

Prize for Academic Excellence supported by the Queens College Center for Jewish Studies. The prize is awarded to the graduating Jewish Studies minor with the highest GPA.