On May 9, 2019, the Program in Jewish Studies along with family, friends, faculty, and community members celebrated the accomplishments of the Jewish Studies class of 2018–2019. This year, four undergraduates graduated with Jewish Studiesminorsand five graduatestudentswith graduate certificates. Wealso honored our numerous scholarship, fellowship, and award winners andinterns.

All of our students are doing incredible things after graduation or with their awards. Scroll down to learn more!


Minors in Jewish Studies

Danielle Rose FrankDanielle Rose Frank

Bachelor of Art in Psychology, Minor inJewish Studies

After graduation, Danielle aspires to pursue a Master’s degree in nutrition and work in the field of holistic health and nutrition.


Minors in Hebrew and Israel Studies

Gavriella Ben-Zaken

Bachelor of Art in Political Science, Minor in Hebrew and Israel Studies

Isaac Gesundhelt

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Hebrew and Israel Studies

Francesca Hannah RubinFrancesca Hannah Rubin

Bachelor of Art in Communication, Minor in Hebrew and Israel Studies

After graduation, Francesca plans to do some traveling in France before returning to Denver to begin a career in fundraising.

Paige SegallPaige Segall

Bachelor of Art in International Affairs, Certification in Peace and Conflict Studies, Minor in Hebrew and Israel Studies

While at CU, Paige completed two honors theses, one in Peace and Conflict Studies titled “Jewish Birthright: A Case Study on Why American Jewish College Students Travel to Israel,” and the second for International Affairs titled “A Letter to President Trump: A Historical Analysis of the U.S. ~ Israel Relationship.”

Upon graduation, Paiges plans to attend law school.


Graduate Certificate in Jewish Studies

Jeffrey William BaronJeffrey William Baron

Master of Arts in Religious Studiesand Graduate Certificate in Jewish Studies
Thesis:Perceptions of the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula

Jeffrey Baron's thesis,Perceptions of the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula, examines the ways in which medieval and modern people have made sense of and formed identities around their perceptions of the Visigothic past – a relatively brief historical period that left a disproportionately enduring impact in popular, religious, and political culture in the Iberian Peninsula. This fall, Jeffrey will begin a PhD in History at the University of Rochester.

Emily Jean Frazier-RathEmily Jean Frazier-Rath

PhD in German Studies and Graduate Certificate in Jewish Studies.
Dissertation:Death, Deportation, Violence, Silence: Refugee Activism against Precarity in Germany

In Emily Frazier-Rath's dissertation, Death, Deportation, Violence, Silence: Refugee Activism against Precarity in Germany, she argues that refugee-activists and their allies active in the past 10 years in Germany expose and intervene in the historically-informed and powerful discursive constructions that continue to shape representations, perceptions, and understandings of difference in Germany. These discourses rely upon racialized understandings of who counts as human, whose lives are mournable, who is worthy of protection, and who belongs to Germany and Europe. Activists’ exposures and interventions are made possible through the construction of coalitions, the formation of new solidarities, and the creation of communities, through which new ways of conceptualizing race, immigration, and difference in Germany and Europe have begun to take shape. After graduation, Emily plans to begin working on her first book and pursue a career in academia.

Elana Lev FriedlandElana Lev Friedland

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writingand Graduate Certificate in Jewish Studies
Thesis:An account of creation

Elana Lev Friedland's thesis, An account of creation, is a hybrid-genre collection of speculative writing centered on the Jewish supernatural, reproduction, and futurity. The project also considers the intersections of gender, sexuality, and Jewishness. Upon graduation, they plan to return to Boston to reconnect with its Jewish and artistic communities.

Sarah Jean GavisonSarah Jean Gavison

Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Documentary Media Practices and Graduate Endorsement in Jewish Studies
Dissertation: What To Do With The Jews?

In her dissertation, What To Do With The Jews?, Sarah Gavison looks into Post-World War II Jewish refugees and the creation of Israel in US and Soviet policies. After graduation, Sarah plans to look for post-doc and academic jobs in Israel.

Mark JosephMark Joseph

Master of Arts in Religious Studies and Graduate Certificate in Jewish Studies
Thesis: Music/composition, psychoanalysis, Judaism, Israel/Palestine

While at Ҵýƽ, Mark Joseph produced a long essay on Freud, psychoanalysis, and Jewishness. He also created a piece of musicwith words from the Mishnah and an additional essay on the Talmudic alternatives to Jewish exclusivity in Israel. Upon his graduation, Mark plans to continue to compose music, edit and translate, write articles, and teach.


Jewish Studies Scholarship and Fellowship Recipients