Be Wise Fellowship in Jewish Entrepreneurialism

The Be Wise Fellowship in Jewish Entrepreneurialism was created in 2012 in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish Institute of Religion by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and the Free Synagogue in 1922. The Be Wise Fellowship encourages students to emulate Rabbi Wise by thinking imaginatively about how we can serve the needs of the contemporary Jewish community and to make real their own vision for liberal Judaism in the twenty-first century. Recipients of seed grants will have the opportunity to embark upon an entrepreneurial journey, learning over the course of the year more about themselves, the Jewish community, and what it takes to move from vision to reality. Rabbi Rachel Gross-Prinz and Rabbi Matt Green co-direct the Be Wise Fellowship.

Students are invited to work individually or in a group to design a project that will:

• Identify a gap or a lack in the Jewish communal landscape and seek to fill it;
• Promote entrepreneurialism and bring a spirit of innovation and creativity to campus;
• Encourage fellow students to explore and experiment with community-building and outreach techniques; and
• Showcase the values upon which Rabbi Stephen S. Wise founded the Jewish Institute of Religion that are still part of the New York campus culture (such as a commitment to diversity, Klal Yisrael, the prophetic tradition, innovation, and creativity)

Process

Once proposals are submitted, a panel of HUC-JIR representatives will evaluate the ideas. Seed money will be granted to submissions that best meet the criteria and which the panel deems to have the most potential.

Students who receive grants will participate in an 18 month process to bring their ideas from vision to reality, working closely with the co-directors.

A new Be Wise Fellowship grant cycle will begin in Spring 2026.

For Further Information

Please contact Rabbi Rachel Gross-Prinz rgross-prinz@huc.edu.