Oxford university graduate Keren Simons has won the inaugural New Israel Fund UK William Frankel Social Justice Fellowship.

The accolade, in memory of the late JC editor, seeks to nurture future leaders for social change from outside Israel.

Miss Simons, 25, from north London, will spend 10 months in Israel working in a social justice NGO. She has a masters from Oxford in gender studies, where she looked at Israeli women and political power and has written biographies of Muslim women's rights activists. She also headed the Jewish Society at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Miss Simons said: "I believe I have a moral imperative to use my outrage at injustice as a resource for productivity and change. Human rights, especially the state of women and girls worldwide, is one area that is close to my heart."

Mr Frankel's widow Claire said: "Any time someone is working towards peace, William would have been thrilled. We know Keren is the perfect match for us."