Kehilla High School to Offer New Fellowships to Nashville Jewish Students

Kehilla High School and the Board of the Jewish Upper Schools of Nashville are excited to announce the launch of the Hineini and Beresheet Fellowships, aimed at empowering Jewish teens in Nashville. These fellowships offer students not only an exceptional education but also the chance to gain mentorship from prominent leaders in the Jewish community. Through this initiative, Kehilla seeks to cultivate the next generation of Jewish leaders, equipping them with the skills and experiences necessary to shape the future of Nashville’s Jewish community. 

The two Fellowships come at a time of renewed focus on Jewish resilience and community building. “With Israel so much on our minds in the last year, I can't help but think about the original state builders,” shares Kehilla’s Head of School, Sarah Roth. “In order to create a nation that could rescue its citizens from violence, highly educated Jews in 1894 and 1944 had to move to a new land and build economic and political independence—not only by their hands but also by their presence, and by calling others to join them. This is exactly what Nashville Jewish schools need to thrive. Israel needed its founding families, and so do we.” The fellowships reflect this need, honoring students and families who are actively contributing to Nashville’s Jewish future. 

The Sandy Averbuch Hineini Fellowship is awarded to students who have demonstrated diverse talents and leadership potential within the Jewish community, showing promise in areas such as academics, social engagement, spirituality, and more. Like the early leaders of Israel, who evolved from rebels to statespeople as their new nation required, Hineini Fellows are prepared to apply their skills in various areas to support Jewish life. The Sol Stern and Rose Stern Bereishit Fellowship honors a student and family that have demonstrated ongoing commitment to the development of the Jewish community and of robust Jewish education in Nashville. Like the original pioneers who worked to build the State of Israel, Beresheet Fellows show willingness to turn beliefs into action, even when it requires hard and sustained work and even some personal sacrifices. Both fellowships will be funded by donors from the local Jewish community who share a commitment to the expansion of Jewish educational options in middle Tennessee. 

Eligible students must have attended Akiva and JMS, another Jewish day school, or JMS for the duration of their family’s time in Nashville. Additionally, they should have maintained a strong academic record throughout middle school, regularly participated in a Jewish organization in Nashville, and developed a meaningful personal connection to Jewish people, texts, practices, beliefs, or traditions. Roth says, “My educational philosophy is centered on helping adolescents find and develop their strengths through meaningful, self-guided learning that they can see makes a difference in their communities. Through the new fellowships, I hope the chosen recipients can see themselves almost as pioneers who have the power to positively impact the Jewish people.” To achieve this goal, selected students will work with the Head of Kehilla as well as community mentors to design and carry out a project that facilitates teens’ participation in community life and their engagement with Jewish education and practice. 

“One of the things I keep hearing as Nashville grows and as Jewish Nashville grows with it is the desire for a robust Jewish education throughout their children's pre-college schooling -- but many don't know that it exists now,” says Roth. “We know that both old Nashville families and those new to the area love Akiva and often ask one another what is needed to keep their kids in a similarly warm, progressive, and rigorous Jewish school beyond 6th grade.” However, Roth shares good news, “We are already building it.” The Jewish Middle School of Nashville (JMS) has been thriving for 10 years and its success led to the founding of Kehilla High School in 2022. 

In offering these fellowships, Kehilla High School is not only recognizing the dedication of Nashville’s Jewish community but also investing in its future. Roth acknowledges, “Often, students and families that care deeply about their Judaism and participation in a Jewish community are also those that care deeply about education, learning, and living up to one's academic potential. It is no surprise that such families might initially hesitate before committing to a new school.” The Beresheet and Hineni Fellowships are designed to reward those who are willing to be first-generation builders of a learning "nation." These fellowships use a framework of Jewish learning and values to ensure that students excel not only as college applicants but also as mensches, ready to live up to their Jewish and leadership potential. 

Romy Clorfene is a Vanderbilt student majoring in Human and Organizational Development with a minor in Business, and a past regional secretary for BBYO.