Fellowships/Funded Opportunities

The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) at American Ancestors, a research and educational center located in Boston, Mass., whose archival collections specialize in the Jewish history of New England, is seeking candidates for a Historian in Residence position in the 2025-2026 year.

This part-time position (15 to 20 hours a week) is an exciting opportunity for a post-doc, adjunct faculty member, public historian, or teacher. The Historian in Residence works in collaboration with JHC staff to create content, programs, and resources for a range of audiences and settings. Mining the JHC’s archival collections, which specialize in the history of Jewish individuals, families, institutions, businesses, and communities in New England, the Historian in Residence will highlight and contextualize this history, while also developing articles and public talks about related topics in American Jewish history; developing research and resource guides for the JHC website; and helping connect the JHC to, and build use of its resources among, the scholarly/research community.
 

Responsibilities  

The Historian in Residence’s responsibilities include research, writing, and presentations using the JHC’s collections and other repositories. The historian will:  

• Write two articles for publication in  American Ancestors magazine and contribute occasional blog posts to the JHC and American Ancestors websites.

• Develop online and/or in-person presentations for the public.

• Work with archives staff to create online resource guides for JHC collections.

• Provide consultation to JHC staff about American Jewish history as/when needed.

• Conduct and recommend outreach to communities of scholars and researchers.
   

Qualifications 

The successful candidate will: 

• Have at minimum a Master’s degree in history, American Jewish history, or a related field.  Knowledge of Boston and/or New England Jewish history a plus.

• Demonstrate superb writing, research, and presentation skills.  

• Have experience in public history setting(s) and/or in interpreting and presenting historical content for a wide variety of audiences.

• Be able to work both independently and collaboratively with the JHC team.
   

Terms and Stipend 

Reporting to the JHC Programming and Outreach Manager, this part-time, grant-funded position begins on or after September 1, 2025, and ends June 30, 2026, with the possibility of extending the funding for a second year. While the exact schedule is flexible and shall be mutually agreed-upon, the preferred arrangement entails a regular schedule of 17.5 to 21 hours a week. The Historian should be based in the Greater Boston area and is asked to spend at least one day (7 hours) each week working onsite. The annual stipend for the position is $30,000, paid over ten months. The Historian in Residence and the JHC may have the option to renew the position beyond the 2025-2026 year.
 

To Apply 

Candidates should submit a cover letter expressing why the position interests them and what they might be interested in exploring while at the JHC; a resume and/or CV; and two references to:

Rachel King, Executive Director 
Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors 
97 Newbury Street 
Boston, MA 02116 
rachel.king@nehgs.org 

The Historian in Residence position is funded by Richard Schilder and the Schilder Family, in honor of Justin L. Wyner.

Applications are now closed.

The Genevieve Geller Wyner Research Fellowship at the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) at American Ancestors awards $2,500 and an opportunity for a scholar to conduct research in the JHC’s archives, which contain the records of Jewish institutions and businesses and the papers of families and individuals in Greater Boston and New England. While the scholar's research project does not have to be focused on Boston or New England, or exclusively use the JHC archives, JHC collections should account for a significant portion of the project’s source research. At the conclusion of the Fellowship period, the Fellow is asked to present a paper based on their research at a public event, the Genevieve Geller Wyner Annual Lecture, at a mutually agreed-upon date. Learn more and apply here.

Applications are now closed.

The Professor Ronald C. Curhan and Joan Pokross Curhan Research Fellowship at the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) supports scholars in Jewish History or Jewish Studies, especially, but not limited to those at the beginning of their academic careers. One or more scholars a year will be selected to receive an award, which supports their research in the Boston- and New England-based collections at the JHC. Graduate, undergraduate, or predoctoral students will be given preference, although the annual scholarship may also be awarded to postdoctoral scholars. At the completion of their research, Curhan Scholars are asked to present their findings in a public presentation, and to acknowledge the JHC and the Fund in any paper or published work that results from their research. 

Timing: In 2025, its inaugural year, the Professor Ronald C. Curhan and Joan Pokross Curhan Research Fellowship will have a rolling application deadline. Beginning in 2026, the application deadline will be March 15. To apply, candidates will need to describe their research project, how they plan to use the JHC’s collections, and provide at least two references.  

Selection Process: Applications to the Professor Ronald C. Curhan and Joan Pokross Curhan Research Fellowship will be reviewed by a committee, who will select the awardee(s). Recipients will be notified by the Jewish Heritage Center.  

Requirements: Once notified of their award, Curhan Research Scholars will schedule and conduct their in-person research in the JHC archives in consultation with, and with assistance from, JHC archives staff. Following their research, scholars will give a presentation on their research at a time and in a manner decided upon with the JHC. They must cite the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center in all subsequent work that results from use of the collections.  

About the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center: The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) at American Ancestors is a premier center for exploring, preserving, and advancing the history of Jewish families and institutions in New England and beyond. As the repository for the New England collections of the American Jewish Historical Society and with new collections being added regularly, the JHC has more than four million documents in its archives and more than 700,000 searchable documents in its digital collections. These physical and digital materials are used by scholars, researchers, and institutions around the world. In addition to its archival holdings, the JHC offers educational programming, exhibits, scholarship, and public events. It is the only historical center dedicated to, and specializing in, New England Jewish history. 

About the Curhan–Pokross Family: Professor Ronald C. Curhan and Joan Pokross Curhan have generously funded this fellowship out of a longstanding family commitment to scholarship and American Jewish history. Professor Curhan was the president of the American Jewish Historical Society from 1990 to 1993, as was David R. Pokross, Joan Pokross Curhan’s father, from 1976 to 1979. Professor Curhan is a retired Professor of Marketing at the Boston University School of Management, and Joan Pokross Curhan worked for many years at Harvard School of Public Health.