Sinai Scholars Society

Sinai Scholars Society is a joint project of Chabad on Campus and the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. It brings a small, selective group of students together for an eight-week course in Jewish thought, taught at their campus Chabad House, and then connects them to a national community of Sinai Scholars.

Students often describe it as the most meaningful class they took in college. The coursework is real, the discussions are honest, and the relationships built with classmates and instructors tend to last well beyond graduation.

What you study

The core Sinai Scholars curriculum examines Jewish thought, literature and practice from a modern perspective. Depending on the semester and campus, courses have included introductions to Jewish wisdom for modern life, practical explorations of Jewish law through real cases, the spiritual meaning of Israel, Kabbalah and the Tanya, and the life teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Requirements and the stipend

Sinai Scholars asks more of students than a typical club, and it rewards them for it. Students who complete the program receive a stipend. To earn it, fellows generally:

• Attend all eight two-hour classes
• Take part in at least three events, including a Shabbat experience, a class retreat and a closing gala
• Write a one-page reflection on how the course shaped their perspective
• Write a research paper of at least five pages on a topic from the course

Beyond the classroom: the retreat and the symposium

Fellows can apply to the Sinai Scholars National Jewish Retreat, a multi-day gathering of students from campuses across the country with leading Jewish thinkers and educators, offered with a significant scholarship. Students who want to take their research further can join the Mentor-Protege Program, write an original paper with a professor or scholar as mentor, and compete to present at the Sinai Scholars Academic Symposium.

How to apply

Spaces are limited, so each Chabad House selects the students who are most interested in completing the program. Observance level and background do not matter. After you apply, you will meet with the course instructor, and accepted students attend a short orientation before classes begin.