World

niversity Boosters

U-M lands scholarships; also aids in Bar-Ilan study.

Professor Sheldon Kramer, director of the Rudoff program, with Sheldon Rudoff, Shaindy's father, of New York City.

Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

Ann Arbor

T

hree graduates of the University
of Michigan have revisited their
alma mater to encourage par-
ticipation in two very different programs
— one that provides scholarships at U-M
and another that offers creative writ-
ing instruction at Bar-Ilan University in
Ramat Gan, Israel.
Sylvia and David Nelson of Farmington
Hills have established scholarships
through the David Robert and Sylvia Jean
Nelson Foundation for Arts and Letters.
Judy Labensohn, now relocated to Israel,
represents the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate
Program in Creative Writing and recently
returned to U-M to provide materials out-
lining the opportunities.
"My husband and I worked our way
through school, know how art students
often have to struggle and wanted to
help today's creative scholars:' says
Sylvia Nelson, a painter and former
director of the Janice Charach Gallery at
the Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield.

Wilkins.
"These scholarships are open to U-M
Information is available at (248) 487-
students who have proven talent in the
2440.
visual, performing and literary arts and
need financial assistance"
Scholarships
Three annual
At
Bar-Ilan
recipients of a Nelson
The
Bar-Ilan program, an
scholarship will be
initiative
that combines
granted $5,000 each
English
language
instruc-
to be used for tuition,
tion
with
Jewish
experi-
supplies, room and
ences, also has scholar-
board for the term
ships available.
of the scholarship.
"This two-year pro-
Awards are based
gram,
started in 2002,
on a review of the
allows
Americans to
applicant's work and
spend
one
or two years in
an oral interview with
Israel
specializing
in fic-
the directors of the
,
'
says
Judy
tion
or
poetry'
foundation and con-
Labensohn,
the
program
sulting experts.
Judy Labensohn speaks about the coordinator who also
"We want to help
Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program works as a professional
the next generation
writer and conducts writ-
of artists, writers and in Creative Writing. She's at the
dedication ceremony of the pro-
ing workshops.
performers realize
gram, held May 20, at Bar-Han
"We have well-known
their potential:' says
with Shaindy's parents, Hedda
Jewish
writers who teach,
Nelson, who launched
and Sheldon Rudoff, present.
but
the
program remains
the program in 2005
ecumenical."
and is joined on the
Labensohn, who grew up in Cleveland
foundation board by her husband, daugh-
and
moved to Israel in 1967, decided to
ters Nicole Anne Bopp and Danielle Jean
publicize
the program at U-M because of
Nelson, son David Erik Nelson and family
the
contacts
she maintains. Twenty-five
friends Jeffrey Gordon Heuer and Thomas

students are accepted each year; annual
costs, including living expenses, are
upwards of $10,000.
The program memorializes its found-
ing director, a New York-trained scholar
in American literature who taught in the
Bar-Ilan Department of English. The late
director believed that creative writing has
the power to break down barriers between
Jews of different observance levels and
between Jews and non-Jews.
Visiting writers have included Eva
Hoffman, author and literary critic for
the New York Times; Steve Stern, a win-
ner of the National Jewish Book Award;
and Aryeh Lev Stollman, a novelist and
recipient of a Chaim Potok Literary Award.
Aliyana Traison, who graduated from
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit
and West Bloomfield High School, is a
first-year student.
"This program was developed for
Anglo Israelis as well as English-speaking
people from other countries:' Labensohn
explains.
"Shaindy Rudoff's parents raised
funds to ensure that the program contin-
ues." Fl

Information on the Bar-Ilan writing initiative is
available at www.biu.ac.it/HU/en/cw.

November 22 s 2007

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