Auschwitz Jewish Center Fellows Program

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Fellows Program is a three week study trip for students who are matriculated in graduate programs or are completing undergraduate degrees in 2012 in Holocaust studies and related fields.

Students of all faiths and ethnicities with an interest in Holocaust studies, Jewish Studies, Polish-Jewish history, memory, or human rights are strongly encouraged to apply.
The program will begin in the last week of June 2012; all program costs, including international travel, lodging, room and board, and materials, are covered. Dates will be announced on http://www.ajcf.org when they are available.
Applications can be found at https://mjhnyc.wufoo.com/forms/auschwitz-jewish-center-fellows-program/.

The AJC Fellows Program provides a unique educational opportunity to learn about the Holocaust in situ in the context of Poland's history and Jewish heritage. It is the goal of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Fellows Program that Fellows gain not only knowledge of the Holocaust sites they visit, but also an understanding of the legacy of the Holocaust in Poland, its effects on collective memory, and complexities surrounding such categories as victim, bystander, and perpetrator.


The Program:
After a brief orientation in New York City, the Fellows travel in Poland for three weeks, during which time they visit Krakow, Warsaw, Lódz, Treblinka, and Oswiecim (Auschwitz). The Fellows travel to small towns in the regions surrounding Warsaw and Krakow, as well as through south-eastern Poland and north-eastern Slovakia, to explore the area's rich Jewish heritage and meet with local leaders to learn about pre-war Jewish life, life under the Nazi occupation and Communism, and the state of Jewish communities and memory in Poland today.

In Oswiecim, the Fellows attend an intensive program at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum where they tour the camps, study the history of Jewish, Roma, and Polish inmates, and take part in workshops with Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum staff on the collections and education departments. While in Oswiecim, the Fellows have the opportunity to meet European students and observe educational workshops at the Auschwitz Jewish Center.

Upon returning home, each Fellow will complete an article for the Auschwitz Jewish Center E-Newsletter and an essay reflecting on his or her experience.