Introducing the 2025 Straus Scholarship Winners
SHS awarded five $5,000 scholarships to graduate students pursuing careers in public service: Serena Chow, Melanie Franceschini, Shiyi Huang, Sophie Liebel, and Amal Roble.
Message from the Chairman – David H. Kurzman
Kurzman reflects on SHS achievements, including a record 58 scholarship applications this year, new archival discoveries, and collaborative projects such as biographies, documentaries, and art publications. He announced he will step down as Board Chair at the end of 2025, though he will remain on the board.
Where Are They Now? – Past Scholarship Winners
Updates on careers of former awardees, including roles at the U.S. Senate, Department of Justice, World Bank, and U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. Past scholars are thriving in government, policy, law, and advocacy.
William Bijur and the Prayer Book
A feature on William (Bill) Leopold Bijur, grandson of Babette Straus, who received a silver-covered prayer book from Nathan and Lina Straus for his Bar Mitzvah in 1927. Bijur later served as a WWII codebreaker at Bletchley Park, contributing to the Allied victory.
Smaller Articles Include:
The Most Expensive Musical Instrument in the World, Bohemian Decorated Porcelain: The Henderson Collection, A Documentary by Sandra Luckow About a Cottonwood Tree, Friends of Straus Park Updates, and Books & Publications.
SHS awarded five $5,000 scholarships to graduate students pursuing careers in public service: Serena Chow, Melanie Franceschini, Shiyi Huang, Sophie Liebel, and Amal Roble.
Message from the Chairman – David H. Kurzman
Kurzman reflects on SHS achievements, including a record 58 scholarship applications this year, new archival discoveries, and collaborative projects such as biographies, documentaries, and art publications. He announced he will step down as Board Chair at the end of 2025, though he will remain on the board.
Where Are They Now? – Past Scholarship Winners
Updates on careers of former awardees, including roles at the U.S. Senate, Department of Justice, World Bank, and U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. Past scholars are thriving in government, policy, law, and advocacy.
William Bijur and the Prayer Book
A feature on William (Bill) Leopold Bijur, grandson of Babette Straus, who received a silver-covered prayer book from Nathan and Lina Straus for his Bar Mitzvah in 1927. Bijur later served as a WWII codebreaker at Bletchley Park, contributing to the Allied victory.
Smaller Articles Include:
The Most Expensive Musical Instrument in the World, Bohemian Decorated Porcelain: The Henderson Collection, A Documentary by Sandra Luckow About a Cottonwood Tree, Friends of Straus Park Updates, and Books & Publications.