NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellowships
(Including the Nomi Fein and Rabbi Richard J. Israel Social Justice Fellowships)

The application process for the 2013-2014 fellowships is now closed.
Check back here in September for the 2014-2015 application.

*This is last year's application. Take a look and think about applying.

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Applications are now available for the 2013-2014 Fellowship!
Click here to apply
If you have trouble accessing the online form, you can download the pdf version instead.

COMPLETED applications, including transcripts and references, MUST be received by February 1st, 2013.  Applications and letters of recommendation will be accepted online or by e-mail only.  Please email all materials to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Lawson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202) 513-7870.

*Completed application must include:

Application Form

Transcript (Unofficial)

Resume 

Essays

**References: Two written reference are required, which should be submitted by e-mail using the attached form to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please submit with your application package the name and contact details of the referees who will be sending these references.  Further, please provide the name and contact details of one additional reference that we may contact.

PLEASE NOTE:  following the submission of your complete application, you will be contacted for a Hebrew screening that will take place over the phone or on skype.

The Experience
The NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellowship is an 10 month experience where fellows spend 32 hours per week interning in an approved, individually-selected Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO), active in one of the following areas:

• Safeguarding civil and human rights
• Pursuing environmental justice
• Promoting Jewish-Arab equality
• Advancing the status of women
• Fostering tolerance and religious pluralism
• Bridging social and economic gaps

Additionally, Fellows engage in monthly enrichment programs and periodic site visits to further develop their understanding of Israel, Israeli activism, and their role as activists both in Israel and at home. Fellows also receive training in leadership and community development. Because Fellows intern full time in an Israeli NGO, successful applicants must have either excellent Hebrew language skills, or good Hebrew with excellent Arabic skills. Living expenses are covered by a modest stipend. [For more info on Fellowship expectations click here] The Fellowship year runs from September 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014 and completed applications, including two letters of reference, are due on February 1st, 2013. Applicants should be college graduates by the start of the Fellowship year. Only U.S. and Canadian residents are eligible for the SJF; Israeli permanent residents are not eligible to receive an NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellowship.To read more about the the most recent cohort of NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellows, click here.

About the Social Justice Fellowships
In 1997, the Nomi Fein Social Justice Fellowship was established by Nomi's family after her sudden death at the age of 30.  Four years later, a second Social Justice Fellowship was created to honor the life and memory of Rabbi Richard J. Israel.  Click here to read more about the legacies of Nomi Fein and Rabbi Richard J. Israel.  In 2008, the NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellowship was again expanded, In 2010 we added a U.K. fellow and this year were delighted to add our 6th U.S Fellow, the Jay E. Orlin Fellow, as well as our first Canadian Fellow, bringing the total to 8 Fellows.

About the New Israel Fund and SHATIL
The New Israel Fund (NIF) was established in 1979 to strengthen democracy and promote social justice in Israel, and is today Israel's foremost social-change institution.  Specifically, it works to advance the following objectives: Fighting for civil and human rights; Promoting religious tolerance and pluralism; Closing the social and economic gaps in Israeli society; and Protecting Israel's environment.

Since its founding, NIF has granted more than $200 million to more than 800 Israeli non-profit organizations.  But NIF is far more than a grant maker; NIF is a unique working and philanthropic partnership of North Americans, Israelis, and Europeans, providing more than 1,300 Israeli non-profit organizations with financial and technical support each year.

In 1982, NIF established SHATIL, the New Israel Fund's Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Israel. SHATIL builds organizational capacity of NIF grantees and similar organizations by providing training, consultation, coalition-building assistance, and other services.