The Community Creative Fellowship, powered by CJP and JArts, is the first of its kind in the country – an opportunity for us as a community to be part of the creative process with two top Jewish artists.
CJP and JArts are proud to launch the 3rd cohort of the Community Creative Fellowship for two Boston-area creatives. We invite creatives in all artistic media – visual artists, performers, writers, chefs, coders, and others – to apply.
More and more people are exploring Jewish culture for new perspectives and approaches to their Jewish identity. The arts enable us to create a meaningful personal identity and also attract, excite, and educate people about the richness of Jewish culture.
This fellowship is designed to support two local creatives who are looking to explore Jewish identity through arts and/or culture. Combining both personal development and community engagement, the selected creatives will be expected to create new capstone work that is inspired by the experience of the fellowship.
The applications for the 2022-23 Cohort have now closed.
Applications for the 2023-24 Cohort will open in Spring 2023.
Our Goals
- Support the creation of new work that reflects the artists’ own Jewish exploration
- Create a community wide dialogue by engaging diverse communities in this work and artistic process
- Develop creatives’ capacity for community engagement and Jewish literacy
Who Should Apply?
Creatives who…
- Have any level of connection to Jewish identity
- Have a personal interest in exploring Jewish identity and its role in the creative process •seek meaningful professional and personal development opportunities
- Interest in engaging with audiences of diverse backgrounds
Stipend, Timeline & Expectations
The chosen creatives will each develop a capstone piece informed by their experience over the course of the fellowship (October 2022-June 2023). Fellowship stipend: $20,000 (9 months, inclusive of time and materials)
2022-23 Cohort Timeline
- Applications due July 28, 2022 by 5:00 PM EST (applications have now closed)
- Fellowship begins October 24, 2022
- Fellowship completes June 30, 2023
Expectations
Creative Fellows will…
- Develop engagement opportunities that inspire creative connections to Jewish identity
- Work with an array of community groups, Jewish and not, such as: schools, senior living facilities, synagogues, community centers (10 engagements over the course of the fellowship)
- Be prepared to facilitate their work virtually in the event that in-person opportunities are not possible
- Attend all scheduled educational sessions and meetings with mentors (schedule to be set at the beginning of the fellowship)
- Provide regular documentation of fellowship experience
- Ensure that social media marketing and growth is a priority of this process
- Create a capstone piece
Fellowship Support
- Primary Mentorship: Creatives will have a consistent mentor throughout the process to help facilitate your own Jewish artistic journey and enhance your learning around community engagement
- Jewish Mentorship: Creatives will also have 3 sessions with a Jewish educator focusing on topics of interest
- Logistic support: Administrative support for community engagement opportunities, marketing via CJP and JArts marketing channels
- Additional opportunities to work with experts and other professionals in the creatives’ desired field
About CJP & JArts
The mission of CJP, Greater Boston’s Jewish Federation, is to inspire and mobilize the diverse Greater Boston Jewish community to engage in building communities of learning and action that strengthen Jewish life and the world around us. For more information, please visit: cjp.org
JArts™ brings people together to explore and celebrate the diverse world of Jewish art, culture, and creative expression. For more information, please visit: jartsboston.org
Is your organization or community interested in collaborating with the fellows? Contact Jaime Brody at jaimeb@jartsboston.org.
Meet Our Past Fellows
Paloma Valenzuela
Paloma is a Dominican-American writer, director, and actor originally from Jamaica Plain, MA. She is the creative director of the production operation La Palomita Productions based in Boston and the Dominican Republic. She has collaborated with organizations such as the Urbano Project and Hyde Square Task Force and is the writer/producer/creator of the comedic web series, “The Pineapple Diaries”. The show was featured in the Latina Magazine’s “5 Web Series Every Latinx Needs to Watch Right Now”.
Learn More
Rotem Goldenberg
Originally from Israel, Rotem moved to Cambridge, MA this past year. Her art is for audiences of all ages and exists between the spaces of visual theater, performance, storytelling, and clowning. She believes in using theater as a tool in both social activism and therapy. Rotem has taught and lectured in universities, schools, and community events across the globe. She is an actor and partner in the Holot Theater, a social theater group for Israelis and asylum seekers. As a medical clown, she has worked in children’s departments, rehabilitative geriatric hospitals, and mental health hospitals. Most recently, Rotem served as a social clown with the “Emunah” organization for at-risk youth.
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Yoni Battat
Yoni Avi Battat is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer specializing in contemporary and traditional Jewish music inspired by his Iraqi and Polish ancestry. He performs and records around the world alongside artists who are at the forefront of Jewish music, including his Yiddish Jazz Band, Two Shekel Swing, and his own Ensemble of Middle-Eastern Jewish music.
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Adriana Katzew
Adriana Katzew is an artist-educator-scholar. Her photography-based art practice reveals her interest in social documentary, history, and marginalized voices. Adriana’s work strives to unearth stories and memories of people, moments and places, addressing societal conditions. Through her work, Adriana uncovers the individual narratives and humanity of each subject.
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