Moscow State University

Formal Jewish studies in a university setting are an essential component for the revival of Jewish life in the FSU. While academic courses in Judaica did not exists until recently, in just a few years they have begun to spring up at the most prestigious universities around Russia: the Russian State University for the Humanities, Saint Petersburg University, Kazan University, the University of Tomsk, etc. Moscow State University (MGU) is the only place in Russia to have its own Jewish Studies Department, with the enrollment exceeding 100 students (many of them not Jewish). The department covers a range of disciplines in Jewish and Israel studies and serves as a resource for academics and teachers from a range of Jewish educational centers around the FSU, fostering interest among students– Jewish or not–who come into contact with Jewish culture at the university.

GPG's grant supports the improvement of the department's infrastructure, as well as staff development, recruitment of new scholars, and internship opportunities for Moscow State University students and graduates at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.