The Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) Scholarship Program helped 193 college students this year by awarding $614,000 in need-based scholarships, with each gift ranging from $500 to $10,000.

“This is an impressive group of special individuals who show a lot of promise and provided the scholarship committee with a real wow factor,” said scholarship program co-chairman Leland Felsenthal.

Scholarship recipients are attending colleges from California State University, Northridge and New York University to Harvard and Stanford. They are studying everything from medicine and law to education and the arts. The group includes students who have emigrated from other countries, students with learning disabilities and students who are returning to school for advanced degrees.

For the third year, JVS supported 10 medical school students with $10,000 scholarships made possible by a $100,000 gift from the William and Leah Molle Foundation and the support of Trustee Susan Howard.

Most recipients attended the 44th annual award reception on July 28 at Sinai Temple, where they personally thanked many scholarship donors in attendance. Six-year scholarship recipient Niv Ashkenazi was keynote speaker. A graduate of The Juilliard School of Music who has performed worldwide, Ashkenazi said while his primary ambition remains becoming a violin soloist, he decided early to expand his scholastic horizons by taking a variety of classes. He discovered that by following his interests and gaining new knowledge, he has developed skills that make him more employable.

Since the JVS Scholarship Program began in 1972, more than $7.8 million has been awarded to more than 4,400 local Jewish students. It is the largest need-based scholarship program serving Jewish students in the Los Angeles community. For information, visit www.jvsla.org.