This fund was established in 2000 by Henry M. Gutterman and Gary and Niety Gerson in honor of Warren Bargad for the purpose of supporting program enhancements in Jewish Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Bargad was born February 21, 1940. He was Melton Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of English. In 2003, Bargad was posthumously named a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Awards. He was also awarded for this work, No Sign of Ceasefire: An Anthology of Contemporary Israel Poetry, which was honored in the poetry division.

In 1999, Bargad retired as director of the Center for Jewish Studies. Four years later in June 2003, he passed away. He was survived by his wife Arlene.