The Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk (ELES) was founded in 2008, and opened on 11 November 2009 by the then-Federal Education Minister Annette Schavan and the then-Central Council President Charlotte Knobloch.
[2] Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich (1921-2007) was a Berlin-born religious scholar and historian who experienced both the persecution and following rebuilding of the European Jewry in the 20th century.
[6] Renowned Jewish figures from sciences, arts, business, and public life are involved in the Scholarship Fund.
[14] With the creation of Dialogue/Perspectives ELES entered into dialogue with scholarship holders of different religious and ideological identities as well as with renowned scientists and discourse-defining experts on one of the most important topics of our time: the role of religions and worldviews for the individual and for society.
[15] In 2017, Margot Käßmann praised Dialogue/Perspectives in an article for the Bild magazine as an example of successful interreligious dialogue facilitator[16] In 2016, DAGESH was created to offer the artists within the ELES Scholarship Fund greater public visibility, networking and support for their projects and the showcasing of their work.
DAGESH also offers opportunities for artists to network and for exhibitions and public appearances in national and international contexts.
[18] Former ELES scholarship holders working in the arts include Max Czollek, Jeff Wilbusch, and Noam Brusilovsky.