Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar

A Wellspring program for young adults

Registration for the 2025 Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar is NOW CLOSED.

About the Seminar

The Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar is the premier program for students to engage with the challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the Jewish people through the lens of Jewish texts, values, and ideas. This year we will be exploring the most pressing issues facing our Jewish community across North America. Our ideologically, religiously, and politically pluralistic community of Jewish students from college and university campuses across North America address these important questions with depth and nuance. Students will have the opportunity to learn from and with the world class scholars of the Hartman Institute.

Democratic Ideals and the Future of North American Jewry

Democracy has long enabled Jewish life in North America to thrive— today, rising antisemitism and political instability are challenging that foundation. The Seminar will invite students into a deep, text-based exploration of democracy’s meaning for Jews today. Through dialogue, text study, and reflection, participants will grapple with questions of Jewish ethics, civic responsibility, free expression, and the balance between Jewish safety and power. Together, we’ll imagine a more inclusive democratic future for both Israel and North America. A future that protects all citizens, including Jews.

Seminar Details

Dates & Location:

December 22-25, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana
The program includes plenary sessions and electives with renowned Hartman faculty and scholars, opportunities for cross collaboration between campus leaders and a deep dive in southern and small-town Jewish Communities.

Eligibility:

Open to Jewish college students ages 18 to 23 on campuses across North America. Questions about eligibility? Please contact Avigail Schneiman.

Cost:

This highly subsidized fellowship includes lodging, meals, retreat expenses, educational materials, and a $500 flight stipend. Students/campuses are asked to contribute $250 toward participation. Full and partial scholarships are available. Cost should not be a barrier to participation.

The Hartman Institute is committed to ensuring the safety, security and comfort of each participant in our program regardless of where the program is being held.

Please contact Avigail Schneiman for more details.

“In addition to meeting so many wonderful people who care deeply about Israel and the Jewish People, you will come away with a new language to use when talking about complicated issues of history, politics, and peoplehood.”

“this seminar does not force you to think a certain way, but rather provides you with various moral and philosophical frameworks to think about the most pressing issues facing the Jewish people today.”

“This is a great opportunity to engage in deep learning with exceptional faculty and Jewish students. This seminar serves as a unique place that brings together young Jewish students and professionals, all of whom are passionate about their Jewish identity and seek to learn from the experiences of others.”

“That it was an incredibly valuable experience and that I can't remember the last time I was involved in learning so intense or rewarding.”

“If you’re serious about expanding your knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of Judaism and Zionism, this is the place to do so.”

“This is an experience to come together with like-minded students from all over North America to discuss the realities of Jewish life on campus and to brainstorm how Jewish wisdom (texts) can influence their experience on campus.”

“This might be a hot take, but as someone that was in Israel for last year’s seminar, I thought that my learning and relationships were just as good (if not perhaps much better from the more intimate size). I wouldn’t write off future domestic programming.”