Deadline to apply for Fellowship
- For Early Decision I applicants: November 1
- For Early Action applicants: December 22
- For Early Decision II and Regular Decision Applicants: January 15
Fellowship description and requirements
Rhodes College is pleased to make available five $10,000 merit fellowships to first-year entering students who participate in Jewish life in their communities across the United States. Eligible students must complete the application for admission to Rhodes as well as the separate application for the fellowship by the respective deadlines. Fellowship applications will be reviewed by Jewish Community Partners (JCP) of Memphis and JCP will recommend applicants to Rhodes based on their participation in Jewish life and service and based on the responses to an essay prompt. A resume and a 500-word essay will be required for the JCP recommendation. The essay prompt can be found below.
Recommended students will be considered for admission and the fellowship on a competitive basis. Students winning fellowship recognition will receive a Jewish Community Fellowship from Rhodes of $10,000 renewable for up to three years.
Competitive students may receive an academic scholarship in a larger amount. In that case, the scholarship and fellowship may not be combined and the larger of the two will be awarded. However, students will still receive the other benefits of being named a Rhodes Jewish Community Fellow.
Fellowship awardees are expected to become active in Jewish life at 51ÁÔÆæ and to fulfill the following requirements:
- Participate in Jewish life at 51ÁÔÆæ by
- Attending at least 10 Rhodes Hillel events/programs
- Planning one event/program a year
- Attend monthly leadership meetings with other Fellows and Rhodes Hillel Director
- Write a yearly article about Jewish life at 51ÁÔÆæ for print and electronic distribution
- Make a presentation about Jewish life at 51ÁÔÆæ at a Jewish Community Partners board meeting
- Complete an annual Fellowship Recertification Form
Essay prompt
We live in an increasingly complicated world. How does your involvement in Jewish life influence the way you foresee accomplishing Rhodes’ vision of “graduating students with a life-long passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world?â€
You will need to access this application using your portal login. Your application portal login will be emailed to you within 24 hours of submitting your Common Application to Rhodes. You will not be able to view or complete this application until your Common Application has been submitted.
Background on Hillels of Memphis
Hillels of Memphis serves Jewish students throughout the Memphis community, from all Memphis campuses. The Rhodes College chapter was launched in 2017, building on the previous work of the Jewish Student Union. Rhodes Hillel is operated by a student board in cooperation with the Hillels of Memphis Director and a lay-led Advisory Council. Rhodes Hillel focuses on cultural, religious, educational, and social programming and is open to all students regardless of background. Rhodes Hillel is operated by Memphis Jewish Federation and endowed through the generosity of an anonymous donor.
Background on Memphis Jewish Community
The Memphis Jewish community is a full-service, vibrant community with seven synagogues, a beautiful and first-rate Jewish Community Center, engaging programming for youth and young adults, outstanding Jewish preschools, day schools and religious schools, an active Jewish Federation, kosher food options, award-winning residential nursing home and rehabilitation facility and more. For more information about Jewish life in Memphis, please go to
Questions/Additional information
At Rhodes College, please contact Pamela Bowie at 901-843-3705 at bowiep@rhodes.edu
At Rhodes Hillel, please contact Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein at bzuckerbrot-finkelstein@jcpmemphis.org