4th Annual Jewish Studies Essay Competition

2021 Winners

RACHAEL GALLAGHER

ALEJANDRO HERRERA

TIFFANY LO

FIRST PRIZE: $500
SECOND PRIZE: $150
THIRD PRIZE: $100

Deadline: Monday, April 12, 2021, 9:00 am

Purpose: To encourage undergraduate research in the field of Jewish Studies through scholarly engagement and clear and thoughtful writing.

Eligibility: Applicants must be current University of Southern California students, including those who have graduated in December 2020.

Theme: Submissions must engage with one of the following themes:

• Diasporic Jewish and Israeli Identities, Cultures, and/or History
• American Jewish Culture, Experience, and History
• The Hebrew Bible and/or the Archaeology of Israel
• Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia
• Intergroup Connections and/or Disconnections (Interfaith, Interrace, Interethnic)
• Halacha, Ethics, and Rabbinic literature
• Health, Wellness and Judaism

Format: Research papers and essays will be considered. Students may submit papers written for courses or write new papers. The essay must be entirely original and unpublished.

Submission: Submissions must be uploaded electronically as a MS Word Document using the form below. The subject line should include “Louchheim School Essay Competition.” Entries should be formatted double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman with 1” margins. Please be sure to include a cover page with your full name, essay title, email address, telephone number, and current mailing address. Please do not include your name in the file name or beyond the title page. One entry per student only, please.

Criteria: Essays will be evaluated for quality of prose, clarity of purpose, thoughtful integration of evidence, command of language and originality. All entries will be read and evaluated by a committee of Jewish Studies faculty members. 

If you have questions, please contact louchheim@huc.edu or js_259@usc.edu.