Chalav U'Dvash, Brandeis' journal of Zionist thought published semesterly by undergraduates, will sponsor a scholarship for students to travel to Israel this summer, the publication's editors said. Jason Lustig '08 and Reuven Solomon '08, the editors-in-chief of Chalav U'Dvash, said they came up with the idea of a scholarship to Israel last semester and worked on it over break.

"What we suggest is just like writing a paper for class," Solomon said.

The scholarship, which comes with a stipend and is funded by a grant from the Washington-based Israel on Campus Coalition, is open to current first-years, sophomores and juniors. Students who receive the scholarship will research topics of their choice while working at an internship or job in Israel. Among the suggested topics are historical events, daily life, politics and the economy, according to Chalav U'Dvash's Web site.

The stipend each participant will receive will be between $500 and $700, depending on the number of people picked for the scholarship, Lustig said, adding that it will not pay for the full expense of the trip.

Lustig, who could not give an exact figure that Chalav U'Dvash has allocated for the scholarship, said there is "enough to send a couple of people to Israel."

Lustig said they hope the scholarship will allow students to "take control of their Israel experience," adding that Chalav U'Dvash's editors are still discussing how to distribute the scholarship money.

The prize is open to all non-seniors, including non-Jews, Lustig said. Solomon added that while they do not know how many students will be awarded the scholarship, they want to award money to as many qualified applicants as possible.

Chalav U'dvash will also help find other ways to help defray the costs of the trip, Lustig said.

Ilan Troen (NEJS), who advises Chalav U'Dvash, praised the publication for focusing on all aspects of life in Israel.

"What I find most impressive about what [Chalav U'Dvash is] doing is that they're not focused just on the conflict [in Israel]," he said. "This journal is really a product of students at Brandeis and its success is a result of their initiative."

The application deadline for the scholarship is February 9. Applicants are required to submit an application, a writing sample and a recommendation from a professor, and complete an interview. More information on the scholarship can be found online at http://www.chalav.org/scholarship.

The bi-semesterly publication takes its name from a Hebrew phrase which literally translates to "milk and honey" and is part of the Brandeis Media Coalition. It is sponsored by the Azure Student Journals Project at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem.