The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) develops fresh ways of thinking about Jews and gender worldwide by producing and promoting scholarly research, artistic projects and public engagement.
One of the world's only academic centers of its kind, HBI provides research resources and programs for scholars, students and the public. The Institute publishes books and a journal, convenes international conferences and local programming, and offers competitive grant and internship programs.
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Since 1997, HBI has funded more than 400 research grants for projects in Jewish women’s and gender studies totaling approximately $1.2 million. The application for the 2026 HBI Research Awards is open now until September 2, 2025. View for more information and the HBI Research Awards application.
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Shortly after Shulamit Reinharz completed her book, Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir detailing her father, Max Rothschild’s, experiences in the Holocaust, she turned her attention to her mother, Ilse Rothschild. While her father left extensive papers, “five to six feet of documents in boxes,” her mother left little and didn’t talk about her experiences.
“It’s a real challenge to write a biography of a woman who didn’t leave much paper,” said Reinharz, the founding director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute.
In the process of trying to piece together her mother’s story, Reinharz often turns to the context of the times and what is known about how women experienced the Holocaust. It reinforces the need for research on gender and the Holocaust, some of which was pioneered under her leadership at HBI.
“I've always supported HBI because we all know history, but not herstory. We transmit the survival of Jewish women to each generation in the stories we tell. Through previously untold narratives, HBI elevates the experiences of Jewish women all over the world, allowing us to better understand one another.”
Debs Weinberg, HBI Board of Advisors Chair Emerita