Erika Dreifus

Toward the end of each week, the My Machberet blog presents a collection of links, drawn primarily from the world of Jewish books. This week, I’m highlighting current opportunities in the Jewish-writing space—all of these happen to be both no-fee-to-submit and paying , and therefore they will be cross-posted in the August issue of The Practicing Writer 2.0, which will be going out to subscribers today!

• FREUDENHEIM TRANSLATION PRIZE. Deadline: August 15. From the Jewish Literary Foundation. “Open to translators worldwide, the prize recognises outstanding books that explore Jewish themes, history, identity or culture – or are of significant interest to Jewish and wider audiences. Sponsored by Tom and Leslie Freudenheim in honour of Adam Freudenheim, the prize offers a £3,000 award to the winning translator, introducing international Jewish writing to new readers….Books published in English between June 2023 and June 2025, originally written in any language other than English, are eligible. Translators, publishers, or authors may submit.”
• DANIEL PEARL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM INITIATIVE. Deadline: August 20. “Moment Magazine’s Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative is searching for enterprise stories addressing antisemitism and other prejudices that threaten Jewish rights to dignity and self-determination. Grantees will be awarded $2,000-5,000 USD depending on the scope of the project. Applicants will need to make the case for how their proposal addresses problems of antisemitism or other prejudice in a new way and/or how it concentrates on an underreported aspect of this issue.”
• JACKI AND JEFF KARSH JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP. Deadline: September 1. “Equips journalists to report with depth, rigor, and clarity on Jewish issues in the United States and around the world. Fellows participate in three intensive retreats — in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. — engaging with leading journalists, scholars, policymakers, and innovators across the arts, media, and business. As the world’s only journalism fellowship solely dedicated to Jewish topics, the program is resolutely nonpartisan and grounded in the principles of accuracy, independence, transparency, and accountability. Up to ten fellows are selected annually to advance public understanding through uncompromising, high-impact reporting.” Fellows “are awarded a $4,000 stipend, with all travel and lodging fully covered.” NB: As indicated on social media, this fellowship is for “early- or mid-career” journalists.
• SYDNEY TAYLOR MANUSCRIPT AWARD. Deadline: September 1. From the Association of Jewish Libraries, this award “recognizes unpublished manuscripts of Jewish fiction targeting ages 8-13. The award was established by Sydney’s husband Ralph Taylor to encourage aspiring authors of Jewish children’s books. It was first awarded in 1985. The winner receives a cash award of $1000. The committee defines an unpublished author as not having previously published any works of fiction for young readers. This includes self-published as well as commercially published work. The manuscript must be a work of fiction in English with universal appeal of Jewish content for readers aged 8-13 years, both Jewish and non-Jewish. It should reveal positive aspects of Jewish life. Short stories are not acceptable.” NB: “While AJL cannot guarantee publication, the prize money has been an incentive for writers with varying experience to try their hands at writing for this genre. The award carries prestige in the publishing world and several Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award winners have subsequently been published.”
• HADASSAH-BRANDEIS INSTITUTE RESEARCH AWARDS. Deadline: September 2. This program “awards grants to support research or artistic projects in Jewish women’s and gender studies across a range of disciplines.” Grants run up to $2,000 (“junior” level) and $5,000 (“established” level). Note the current subject categories and particular requirements for creative projects. Note also: “Open to applicants regardless of gender or religion. Applications (in English) from outside the United States are welcome.”