Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

David Harris

This year 46 college students—the most ever—benefited from paid Jewish internship programs.

When Justin Kirschner left his home in Montgomery for college at Ohio University in 2010, returning to Cincinnati after graduation wasn’t even on his radar screen.

Now, as a graduate student, Kirschner’s post-education plans have done a 180.

“Six years later, having had the chance to experience Cincinnati as a reinvented city and work with passionate and positive people, I can say that I want to make Cincinnati my home,” Kirschner said.

Why the turnaround? What convinced this young man on the verge of getting his master’s in public administration, that he should make his mark in the Queen City, over Washington DC, New York, or Chicago?

It was an internship.

“If we want a vibrant Jewish future for Cincinnati, if we want Cincinnati to be a model Jewish community, we have to show our young people the value in coming to Cincinnati and living and working here,” said Barbara Miller, Director of Community Building at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. “That starts with internships.”

Cincinnati 2020, the Cincinnati Jewish community’s collaborative, visionary plan for building an exceptional community with more engaged Jews, sparked a renewed commitment to investing in internship opportunities. This summer’s data shows that investment is working.

“During the summer of 2015, more Jewish college students took part in paid internships in Cincinnati and Israel than ever before,” Miller said. More than 100 students applied, and 46 were placed across three different internship programs: Workum, Onward Israel, and Careers Cincinnati.

“That’s 46 resumes built. Forty-six careers launched. Forty-six of tomorrow’s leaders who are more likely to choose Cincinnati after college,” Miller said.

Workum: connecting students with Cincinnati’s Jewish communal agencies

 Funded by an endowment from the Workum family and an annual allocation of $9500 by the Jewish Federation, the Workum internship program provides an 8-week paid internship in one of Cincinnati’s Jewish communal agencies for Jewish college students.

“It’s a win-win for interns and for the Jewish community as whole,” said Brett Stern, president of the Workum board of directors. “Interns get professional connections in Cincinnati and they get paid to give back to the Jewish community while they develop their resumes. For the Jewish community, it’s a real benefit to have such talented students working in their agencies. Plus these interns are more likely to return to Cincinnati after they finish their educations.”

The program dates back more than a decade, but this year brought record-breaking success, with the largest-ever applicant pool of 46 students. Typically, there’s room for 10 placements, but because of the high demand, thirteen were placed this year.

Ohio University student Emily Gilgoff spent her summer interning at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. As a Workum intern, she also got to participate in Cincinnati Chamber networking events and a number of other social activities designed to help interns connect with young adult life in Cincinnati. She’s now interested in Jewish communal work after college.

“I would love to continue working for a Jewish non-profit,” Gilgoff said.

“Emily’s story is what Workum is all about,” said Miller. “Our Jewish communal agencies are doing a remarkable job in supporting and supervising young people, who often end up going into Jewish communal life. We are helping to create future Jewish communal professionals, and we all recognize the value in that.”

Onward Israel: providing students global, professional experience while fostering hometown connections

 Funded by The Jewish Foundation and the Jewish Agency for Israel, and administered by the Jewish Federation, the Onward Israel internship program provides a second level of professional experience for Jewish college students; this time, far away from home.

In the program’s second year, 40 students applied and 17 of them were accepted. They spent eight weeks interning in their respective fields in Israel.

Ricky Mulvey spent his summer at Newshound, a global media company with offices in Tel Aviv.

“While I was a production intern, I had almost all of the responsibilities of a full-time producer: I organized interviews, researched and wrote questions, conducted interviews, edited scripts, and pitched stories,“ Mulvey said.

Jane Sushanksy interned at the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Mikhmoret, just north of Tel Aviv.

“I even wrote a research paper for publication, created YouTube videos, and worked on sea turtle enrichment projects,” she said.

In addition to gaining valuable expertise in their respective fields, Onward interns developed friendships with each other, resulting in a network of connections that outlasted the trip and are helping them feel more connected to and invested in Cincinnati.

“By creating a cohort, these young adults come back feeling more connected to our community with friends that they previously didn’t have,” said Karyn Zimerman, who administers the program. “Participants have told me they didn’t realize they had so many friends in Cincinnati.”

Careers Cincinnati: solidifying Cincinnati as a student’s choice for post-graduate life

Funded by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Careers Cincinnati internship program is new this year and is designed to function as a capstone to the Cincinnati Jewish internship experience. University of Cincinnati and Miami University Hillels recruited 16 college students to intern in Cincinnati’s for-profit sector.

“We were pleased, and a bit surprised by the number of applicants we got in this first year,” said Cincinnati Hillel’s Executive Director, Sharon Stern. “Cincinnati and Miami Hillels are in unique positions to play key roles in connecting students who are already in the Cincinnati area to local professional opportunities. We can do this in a way that makes Jewish community involvement a part of their lives, therefore providing a powerful incentive for students to stay in Cincinnati after graduation.”

Careers Cincinnati interns were also exposed to young professional life outside work. They got a feel for Over-The-Rhine living, participated in networking events, and experienced the vibrant social scene Cincinnati has to offer.

Remember Justin Kirschner? He’s the perfect example of the program’s success. He spent his summer as a campaign intern for Cincinnati Preschool Promise, a cross-sector initiative designed to ensure that every child has two years of quality preschool education.

“I was able to expand my knowledge base regarding grassroots campaigning, increase my professional network, and learn about the many resources the Jewish community has to offer,” Kirschner said. “I have a new perspective on what my life could look like after college.”

A “bundle” of opportunity

 Miller has a clear idea of what she wants the future of Jewish internships in Cincinnati to look like.

“My dream is that this bundle of three internships become a lifecycle for a Cincinnati Jewish college student. That first, they would consider a Jewish communal agency as a Workum intern. Then, they would hone their talents in Israel, with other Cincinnati students through Onward Israel. And finally, as a Careers Cincinnati intern, they’d achieve our ultimate goal—recognizing that Cincinnati is a great place to have a career.”

Her dream is already taking shape, as more and more of tomorrow’s Jewish leaders gain formative internship experience that connects them to Cincinnati.

“It’s realizing that you don’t need to go to Chicago, New York, or Boston. You can have a great life as a Jewish person here in Cincinnati,” Miller said.