About
A Unique Undergraduate Program Devoted to Educating the Future Leaders of Jewish, Western, and American Civilization
The Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program offers four-year scholarships for exceptional college students interested in studying the great ideas of Jewish and Western civilization at the School of Civic Leadership at The University of Texas at Austin. The program includes a rigorous sequence of academic courses focused on great books and ideas, a unique study abroad experience in Israel, a robust set of extracurricular leadership opportunities, and high-level internships and career mentorship. Rosenthal-Levy Scholars receive a generous scholarship award—including full tuition for all four years of study and a $7,000 per year living stipend. The program is open to undergraduate students of any background who are dedicated to our core principles and aims.
As Rosenthal-Levy Scholars, our students will join a national community of men and women dedicated to strengthening our civilization and our country by pursuing high-level careers in every key civic arena. This network will bring together Rosenthal-Levy Scholars from across the country and connect them with established leaders in business, politics, academia, education, religious life, and the broader worlds of culture and ideas.
Note: The Rosenthal-Levy Scholars program is an independent scholarship offered in coordination with The University of Texas at Austin. All applicants must also apply directly and separately for admission to The University of Texas at Austin. To learn more about applying to UT Austin, click here.
Gary Rosenthal is a partner in The Sterling Group, L.P. and Vice Chairman of Tikvah. He has served as Chairman and CEO of numerous public and private companies, and his major charitable endeavors and civic leadership roles include service as the former chairman and ongoing board member of Texas Children’s Hospital, as founder and former chairman of the Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation, and former chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Houston. He has also been a board member at the University of St. Thomas and the Robert M. Beren Academy.
Paul Levy, a lawyer by training, was a founder in 1988 of JLL Partners, a private equity firm based in NYC. He was the founder of Builders FirstSource, a building supply company based in Dallas, and has served as its Chairman since 1998. He is also on the board of Loar Group, an aerospace parts company, of which he is also one of the founders. His principal charitable efforts have been dedicated to Jewish causes and education. He was formerly a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and the chair of its Law School, and he is presently a trustee of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni and an active member of the Palm Beach Synagogue, where he sponsors the Levy Forum for Open Discourse, which features leading thinkers on the big questions facing America, the West, and the Jewish people.
Both Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. Levy are deeply committed to the ideals of the American project and to the exceptional significance of the Jewish people and Jewish civilization in shaping the West. Their spirit and dedication infuse the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program as it expands into a major national initiative.
As Rosenthal-Levy Scholars, our students will join a national community of men and women dedicated to strengthening our civilization and our country by pursuing high-level careers in every key civic arena. This network will bring together Rosenthal-Levy Scholars from across the country and connect them with established leaders in business, politics, academia, education, religious life, and the broader worlds of culture and ideas.
Our Core Principles and Aims
The Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program is devoted to five core principles:- We believe that college students interested in the great ideas of Jewish and Western civilization merit the opportunity to study with master professors and practitioners. The School of Civic Leadership at The University of Texas at Austin is widely recognized as one of the world’s preeminent undergraduate programs for students interested in history, philosophy, literature, economics, law, and strategy.
- We believe that Jewish ideas and Jewish history—from the Hebrew Bible to rabbinic thought, from medieval Jewish philosophy to the birth of modern Zionism—are central to understanding the deepest questions of human life and the great currents of human history. We seek students interested in the high-level study of Jewish and Western civilization.
- We are looking for students with the character, ambition, and moral seriousness to develop as future civic leaders. This is the spirit of the Rosenthal-Levy community of scholars.
- We are committed to helping Rosenthal-Levy Scholars advance in their future careers in every key field—including public policy and law, education and academia, journalism and culture, science and technology, business and entrepreneurship, religious and civic leadership. Our mentorship and internship programs will help place students in arenas of great opportunity.
- We believe that our scholars should have intensive experiences studying abroad—both in Israel and in other key nations that are central to the future of our civilization. Our program offers students unique opportunities to deepen their studies in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other significant cities of the Western world.
The Scholarship Program
The Rosenthal-Levy Scholars program will include:- An academic home at the School of Civic Leadership—including full access to a world-class faculty in history, philosophy, literature, political thought, economics, and strategy and to the newly founded Ackerman Program on Jewish and Western Civilization. All Rosenthal-Levy Scholars will be required to complete an academic major in one of three fields: (i) Civics Honors, (ii) Great Books, or (iii) Strategy and Statecraft. The School of Civic Leadership also offers an academic minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).
- Access to the full academic resources of UT Austin—including the possibility of additional majors, minors, and general education courses in business, the natural sciences, artificial intelligence, economics, and beyond. Rosenthal-Levy Scholars will be permitted to complete a second academic major in any academic field of their choice.
- A generous scholarship—including full tuition for all four years of study and a $7,000 per year living stipend.
- A required study abroad experience in Israel, as well as the option to study abroad in other key nations of the world.
- A community of Rosenthal-Levy Scholars involved in shaping the extracurricular life of The University of Texas at Austin through events, study groups, visiting speakers, and campus leadership.
- A high-level mentorship and internship program devoted to helping our scholars advance in a wide range of careers.
The Application Process
The next application cycle for the Rosenthal-Levy Scholarship is now open. Click here to apply.Note: The Rosenthal-Levy Scholars program is an independent scholarship offered in coordination with The University of Texas at Austin. All applicants must also apply directly and separately for admission to The University of Texas at Austin. To learn more about applying to UT Austin, click here.
Who Created the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program?
The Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program is an initiative of Tikvah, an educational institution and think-tank dedicated to preserving the best of Jewish, Western, and American civilization. The program was created in close partnership with two civic and philanthropic leaders who believe in the importance of liberal education in preparing the rising generation for lives of civic leadership and purpose: Gary Rosenthal and Paul Levy.
Gary Rosenthal is a partner in The Sterling Group, L.P. and Vice Chairman of Tikvah. He has served as Chairman and CEO of numerous public and private companies, and his major charitable endeavors and civic leadership roles include service as the former chairman and ongoing board member of Texas Children’s Hospital, as founder and former chairman of the Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation, and former chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Houston. He has also been a board member at the University of St. Thomas and the Robert M. Beren Academy.
Paul Levy, a lawyer by training, was a founder in 1988 of JLL Partners, a private equity firm based in NYC. He was the founder of Builders FirstSource, a building supply company based in Dallas, and has served as its Chairman since 1998. He is also on the board of Loar Group, an aerospace parts company, of which he is also one of the founders. His principal charitable efforts have been dedicated to Jewish causes and education. He was formerly a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and the chair of its Law School, and he is presently a trustee of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni and an active member of the Palm Beach Synagogue, where he sponsors the Levy Forum for Open Discourse, which features leading thinkers on the big questions facing America, the West, and the Jewish people.
Both Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. Levy are deeply committed to the ideals of the American project and to the exceptional significance of the Jewish people and Jewish civilization in shaping the West. Their spirit and dedication infuse the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program as it expands into a major national initiative.