Submitted by JVS Careers
For many students, receiving a scholarship not only eases financial stress for themselves and their support system but also opens doors to community connection. For one local recipient, the Hilb Scholarship did just that — helping him deepen his connection to his identity and the Jewish community. JVS Careers is honored to announce that scholarship applications are now open, creating opportunities for more students like Cincinnati native Tate Fishman. With the support of the Hilb Scholarship and JVS Careers, Tate attended Ohio State University and is in the middle of his first year of teaching fifth grade at a local school district.
Tate’s initial experience with the Hilb Scholarship gave an obvious relief to the financial burden of college for himself and his parents who were putting multiple children through college. However, it gave him an unexpected scholastic edge to his motivation to succeed, “In college, you can get by with, you know, ‘Cs get degrees,’ but Cs do not get you the scholarship money. It helped me stay on top of not just my schoolwork to do well for myself, but my scholarship,” said Tate.
Gus Hilb established the Hilb Scholarship Fund in honor of his parents, Mannis and Yetta Hilb in 1955. Kim Slaton, Managing Director of JVS Careers, said “Providing scholarships is not just an investment in education but a moral commitment to strengthening the hand of those in need. By empowering individuals to achieve self-sufficiency, we uphold the values of compassion and community, ensuring a brighter, more equitable future for all.” Since its inception, the Hilb Scholarship has been administered by JVS Careers and has been providing need-based financial assistance to students in the Cincinnati Jewish community.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, sixty Hilb Scholarships, totaling more than $200,000 were awarded.
Tate’s tenure at Ohio State brought with it a newfound connection to his Jewish identity, beginning with the time he spent in his Hillel and Chabad programs during his junior year, “I found out how important it really is to me being Jewish, and I think the first egg in that basket was getting the scholarship. Being able to go after what I wanted to do, which is be a teacher, but also to be a leader in the Jewish community,” said Tate. For Tate, that leadership and that community mission stemmed from his scholarship, helping him drive that energy into a solid foundation, he said, by “keeping the spirit of the Jewish people alive and well and strong, not just alive and well. But strong.”
The Hilb Scholarship is not the only opportunity available to students. For those who complete the Hilb Scholarship application, support through the following funds is also possible: the Anne and George Heldman Family Scholarship Fund, the Saidel Award, the Guthman Award, the Graff Award, and the Weiss Award. “I have a special place in my heart for the Hilb Scholarship program since I was a recipient many years ago. JVS has always administered the program and being able to be part of removing some of the financial burden of education on the students and families has been so rewarding,” said Dedra Perlmutter, Scholarship Administrator and Sr. Career Coach for JVS Careers.
The last day to apply for the Hilb scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year is May 2nd, 2025, by 8 a.m. Students interested in applying can access the application and more information on the JVS Careers website.
