Erika Dreifus

• Just ahead of the latest Sydney Taylor Book Awards announcement, School Library Journal published a terrific piece about the inclusion of these awards, which recognize “outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience,” within the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards program.
• And then came the awards program itself! Catch up here and here.
• Moving on to books for grown-ups: Check out these “23 Jewish Books We’re Looking Forward to in 2023”—by Evelyn Frick for Hey Alma.
• As mentioned in my latest newsletter, applications are currently open for the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Scholars-in-Residence program, which offers “outstanding scholars, writers and artists the opportunity to be in residence at HBI at different points during the year” and “is open to scholars working on any aspect of Jewish women’s and gender studies in order to devote time to their research. These residencies take place during the academic year (August 24, 2023 – May 2, 2024) and generally range from two months to a full semester. Applications for a full academic year will be considered.” NB: “While we continue to adapt to the exigencies of Covid 19, HBI welcomes applications for in-person, virtual and hybrid residencies. Applicants living outside the U.S. and those whose work has an international dimension are especially encouraged to apply.” Residencies confer a stipend of $5,000/month. “In addition, participants will receive (shared) office space at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University and access to all available Brandeis University resources as state and university health policies permit.” Note also that “the HBI offers a dedicated residency devoted to research and creations that use the Jewish Feminism Collections in Brandeis University’s Archives and Special Collections.” Deadline: February 17. No fee to apply.
• Scholarship applications for Highlights Foundation workshops and retreats are also open now (closing February 10). Among the many specific scholarships are opportunities “for a Jewish writer or illustrator of color” and “to nurture and develop authors and illustrators of Jewish-themed books for children.”

Shabbat shalom!