Schusterman Center for Israel Studies

After the Summer Institute for Israel Studies (SIIS), which includes a two-week seminar at Brandeis University and a ten-day study tour in Israel, you will be able to create and teach courses in Israel Studies at your home institution. During the Brandeis residency, you will attend seminars given by distinguished Israel Studies scholars, in disciplines such as Israeli history, politics, sociology, literature, cinema, music, and more. You will discuss foundational and current Israel Studies scholarship, and learn about debates within the field. In Israel, you will meet with scholars, government officials, writers, artists, public intellectuals, and community leaders. You will visit cultural and historical sites, and you will have the opportunity to contextualize what you heard in the Brandeis portion of the Institute.  See fellow testimonials for more details.

Following the program, SIIS Fellows become part of an online community of Israel studies scholars through participation in an SIIS Listserv and Facebook page, open to all SIIS cohorts from 2004. The Schusterman Center invites Fellows to participate in an annual conference and in a webinar series of lectures. Additionally, Fellows are welcome at all programs at Brandeis during the academic year. 

No. Most Fellows do not have any Hebrew language background, though some have been functional or fluent in the Hebrew language. Hebrew language proficiency is not required.

Summer Institute participants span the gamut of Israel knowledge and experience teaching about Israel. We have discovered that faculty all along that spectrum benefit greatly from the program. 

We have had participants quite experienced in teaching about Israel and who possess deep knowledge of the subject, who join the program seeking to reconfigure a course, incorporate fresh content and new perspectives into their teaching, explore different pedagogical approaches, and network with a diverse, international group of scholars. And because the program covers a generous range of topics and disciplines, it is perfect for someone with expertise in one area of Israel studies who wants to expand or deepen their knowledge in another. 

Summer Institute participants span the gamut of Israel knowledge and experience teaching about Israel. We have discovered that faculty all along that spectrum benefit greatly from the program. 

We have had faculty members who are new to teaching about Israel and who lack deep knowledge of the subject. The Summer Institute will give you the tools and the knowledge to design and teach courses about Israel with confidence and authority. For some participants, the fellowship changes the focus of their teaching and research, and sometimes even the trajectory of their academic career. 

Visit the application instructions page to learn what information and documents you will need in order to create your application. 

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 program will take place in Summer 2021. If you are interested in participating in SIIS 2022, please fill in this brief form and we will be in touch with you next fall when application season begins. 

You will be notified in early March.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate friends and family during the program. They may not stay in your dorm room at Brandeis or your hotel room in Israel. For this reason, some Fellows have family or friends join them in Israel at the conclusion of the program at their own expense. Travel arrangements may be made through our ground services provider, Eshet Incoming or independently.

Fellows come from colleges and universities across the United States and the world. Complete listing of Fellows’ home institutions

Fellows come come from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including history, political science, geography, film studies, literature, Jewish studies, economics, sociology, anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, international relations, law and security studies.

At Brandeis, you'll be staying in individual rooms within shared suites at the university's newest residence halls. You will be sharing bathroom and kitchen. In Israel, you'll stay in single rooms at hotels.

At Brandeis, the program covers all meals taken on campus. There are both vegetarian and kosher options available. Any meals taken off-campus are at the Fellows' expense.

In Israel, the hotel provides a magnanimous buffet breakfast, and the group often eats lunch at local restaurants or is provided lunch boxes while on the road. Dinner may be provided at the hotel or at the Fellows' expense at venues around town. At times, the group may need to eat in non-kosher venue; special kosher meals will be provided if requested. Other dietary restrictions are also accommodated (vegan, specific allergies).

There is wireless Internet access throughout the Brandeis campus. In Israel, most of the group's hotels offer free Wi-Fi as does the tour bus.