The University of Maine at Augusta congratulates Associate Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies Robert Bernheim, Ph.D., on receiving a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Poland for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, is among the nation’s most prestigious international academic exchange programs. It supports faculty and researchers as they teach, conduct research, and build global partnerships, bringing new knowledge and perspectives back to their classrooms and campuses. Scholars are selected through a rigorous, multi-stage review process involving peer reviewers, Fulbright leaders, and representatives from the host country.
Bernheim’s Fulbright research uses the bagel, a food that originated in Poland’s Jewish communities, to tell a larger story about culture, identity, and memory. His project examines the return of the bagel to Poland since 1989 to better understand the country’s evolving relationship with its Jewish heritage and the memory of the Holocaust and the German occupation. Through this work, he explores how the revival of a traditional food can create opportunities for dialogue, deepen understanding of shared history, and foster reconciliation across communities.
While in Poland, Bernheim will teach a course at the University of Rzeszów on the history of food, cooking, and flavors in America. The course complements his research by exploring food as a form of cultural expression, examining the histories, traditions, and human connections that shape societies. His research also draws on the idea of “bagel diplomacy,” using the shared history of the bagel to foster dialogue and mutual understanding between local ethnic Poles and the Jewish diaspora.
Following his Fulbright, Bernheim hopes to help establish a recurring bagel festival in Poland, expand a digital bagel trail map highlighting the food’s historical and cultural significance, and begin creating a digital archive documenting Poland’s bagel traditions. He also plans to share the project’s findings through scholarly articles and a larger publication.
“Professor Bernheim’s Fulbright award is a testament to both the strength and global-mindedness of his research,” said Lisa Botshon, Ph.D., UMA’s Fulbright liaison and a two-time Fulbright Scholar. “By fostering international collaboration through his unique project, he not only advances scholarship in his field, but also brings invaluable perspectives back to the classroom. His achievement underscores the excellence of UMA’s faculty and the impact of their scholarship in our classrooms and through collaborations around the world.”
“I hope this project creates lasting opportunities for dialogue and collaboration long after my Fulbright concludes,” Bernheim said. “Whether through community partnerships, future scholarship, or new ways of sharing history, I hope the relationships built through this work continue to grow.”
Bernheim joins a distinguished group of UMA humanities faculty who have earned Fulbright awards, including Lisa Botshon, who completed fellowships in Slovenia and Portugal, Ellen Taylor in Slovenia, Rob Kellerman in Latvia, and Sarah Hentges in Denmark. Their achievements demonstrate UMA’s commitment to scholarship that expands opportunity, strengthens teaching, and prepares students to engage thoughtfully with communities in Maine and around the world.