[by Michael Klein]
When summer comes around, almost every college student needs a job during the break. In the Jewish community, the Jewish Community of Louisville and Jewish Family & Career Services offer an internship program for college students to develop their skills within the Jewish community.
Ellen Shapira, education and career counselor for JFCS, believes the internship program is important because when people get involved at a young age, they are able to see how important the Jewish Community of Louisville is to the community. The internship program is geared towards having local Jewish college students return home to find jobs.
Shiela Steinman Wallace, editor of Community and communications director for JCL, agrees. “The internship program encourages Jewish youth to work with the Jewish community while they learn how the Jewish community works and strengthen their own Jewish identities. Through their efforts, they also make a difference for the agencies they serve.”
This summer the JCL and JFCS have three interns: John Ryan, Jordan Wolff and myself.
John Ryan
John Ryan is a sophomore at Yale University. He is studying economics and math. Ryan’s special skills are sports broadcasting and writing for the Yale Daily News. He is also involved in the Yale radio station calling hockey games and a member of the Math Counts outreach program.
Ryan said, “I found out about this internship from Bulldogs Across America.” This program started in Louisville. JFCS advertised an internship on the Bulldogs Across America website. The group he participates in is known as Bulldogs in the Bluegrass. The 25-30 participants in the program are doing internships across the Louisville area and staying in the dorms at Bellarmine University.
Ryan said, “My internship is doing consulting research in JFCS’ Microenterprise Division. In addition to research, I interview microentrepreneurs to make videos for the JFCS blog.”
“I like working with microentrepreneurs because it helps me become comfortable in a business setting,” says Ryan. Additionally, he contacts leaders in the Jewish community to gauge their interest in funding for microenterprise ventures.
“I am having a great time living at Bellarmine University and experiencing everything Louisville has to offer,” says Ryan. Each weekend Bulldogs in the Bluegrass keep the interns busy with activities around the Louisville area like visiting Mammoth Cave or canoeing.
Ryan is from Terre Haute, IN. He is the son of Paul and Ann Ryan.
Jordan Wolff
Jordan Wolff is the son of Mark and Robin Wolff and a junior at Indiana University in Bloomington. He is studying management with a minor in business and enjoys participating in intramural basketball and soccer. Wolff is also a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity.
Wolff said, “I found out about this internship at JFCS through my sister, Jackie.” Wolff hopes to gain “work experience in the nonprofit sector of business and experience working in a Jewish organization.”
Wolff said his internship consists of “helping out with marketing around JFCS and working to help plan the Republic Bank Golf Challenge fundraiser on June 27.”
This internship will impact Wolff’s future career goals by helping him get “real world experience in a non-profit organization,” and it will help prepare him for potential jobs in marketing or management in the future.
Wolff is a member of Congregation Adath Jeshurun and, during high school, he participated in the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and United Synagogue Youth, which offer various social action, leadership, and religious programs.
Michael Klein
I am the son of Jeffrey and Mindy Klein and a senior at Indiana University in Bloomington. I am studying informatics with a minor in business. I enjoy playing sports and developing websites. This past year I was the outreach vice president for Hillel and this upcoming year, I will serve as the webmaster for my fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi.
I found out about the internship at JCL by browsing through the Community newspaper when I came home one weekend. This internship caught my interest because I have been working on two websites at school but this would give me the opportunity to see how a business runs a website with approximately 1,300 pages. More upscale and complex than the websites I have worked with in the past.
I am spending my time at JCL working on news articles, helping out with the website and creating marketing flyers. I hope to gain knowledge of what it’s like to work in a business and learn new skills to carry with me for my future career.
It is interesting to come back to Louisville and see the ways the Jewish Community has changed. After being away at school and very involved with the Jewish Community at Indiana, I like coming back home and getting involved.
I am also a member of Congregation Adath Jeshurun, and, during high school, participated in United Synagogue Youth.
