Hillel Blog

By Sondra Feldman

Internships.  Interesting internships.  Meaningful, interesting internships.  Exciting, meaningful, interesting internships.  An internship isn't the easiest thing to come by, and when you add more and more specifications, it is even harder to find what you're looking for.  When I applied for the Lewis Summer Intern Program, I wasn't quite sure what  I was doing.  And when I looked at the list of placements, I was even less sure.  After doing a bit of my own research, I asked if the Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders needed an intern.  I am a Jewish biology student who took an amazing genetics course while on a gap-year program in Israel.  From that course on, I knew exactly how I was going to combine my love of science with my strong sense of Jewish identity--genetic counseling with a focus on Jewish populations.

Here I am today, and while my internship at the Center may be over (see the web page I made: http://www.jewishgenetics.org/?q=content/college-students), my relationship with the Center is still flourishing. Towards the end of my internship, we had discussed holding some sort of a program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  When I got back to school, I was trying to decide whether to focus my program on single gene disorders (Tay Sachs, Bloom Syndrome, etc.) or hereditary cancers, both of which are more common within the Jewish community.  I decided that I couldn't decide on just one, and instead I would focus on both.  One thing led to another and one program became two, and two became a week long genetic health initiative for the entire campus and greater Champaign-Urbana community called I Dream of Gene Week (March 1-6).  I feel that taking care of yourself is very important and while many people know the value of eating well, sleeping, and exercising, many people don't even think to consider their genetic health.  Now students, professors, community members, medical professional, Jews, non-Jews, and anyone else who chooses to can learn about genetic health and a number of its implications through guest lecturers, movies, workshops, and so much more.  Please send specific inquiries and requests for more information or a copy of the schedule to idreamofgeneweek@gmail.com. 

Summer in Chicago? Be a Lewis Summer Intern!

Gain work experience this summer in Chicago in journalism, marketing, accounting, development, political advocacy, human resources, public relations, grant writing, educational programming and direct service with children, elderly etc.   Opportunities at the Illinois Holocaust Center, Spertus , EZRA, Response Center, JUF and more…

Apply now for one of 26 paid work/study Lewis Summer Internships in agencies and departments of the Chicago Jewish Federation. Apply on-line at www.juf.org/lsip To schedule an interview email lsip@juf.org or call (312) 444-2868.

Application Deadline: February 26, 2010     Interview Deadline: March 19, 2010

 
What do you do for Hillels Around Chicago?
I am the program director for DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Oakton Community College.  I support students in their endeavors to plan programs, develop as student leaders, and create a vibrant Jewish life on their campus.

What is one of the big challenges that Hillels Around Chicago faces?
Serving campuses all over the city, often with smaller commuter populations, means that we aren’t your typical Hillel with a building and a set location. Without a physical presence on most of our campuses, it is always a challenge to reach out and be visible. We also often need to be creative in how we use existing spaces on and off campus – in other words: how do we transform this space into our space?

What is unique about Hillels Around Chicago, why is it different from the ordinary Hillel?
Our students are independent, diverse, urban, and active! Hillels Around Chicago serves students from every walk of Jewish life – we have students from every region of the country and beyond. We have conservative Jews and liberal Jews, religious Jews and secular Jews. And we’re all over Chicago; whether we’re doing service work in Uptown, interfaith work in Lincoln Park, Purim Parties on the West Side, or Shabbat services at IIT, we’re immersing ourselves in this amazing city. Our students may have to spend a little extra time on the bus to come together and share their Jewish lives, but it only serves to energize their connection to each other, their people, their city and their world!

What would you want the Jewish community of Chicago to know about the Hillels Around Chicago?
With smaller student populations and less visibility comes inevitable difficulties in funding and support. We are growing, and the need on our campuses far outpaces our resources. Anything at all people can give, be it their time, their interest, their financial support, or even forwarding this article along to friends and family will help raise awareness about our unique and amazing programs. And when you help us reach out to students, you are reaching students. Perhaps because we don’t have a building or multiple staff per campus,  our students are very aware of community support. When you support their voices, you add your voice to theirs, and we begin to truly lay the foundations for the next generation of Jewish adults.
 
What is special about DePaul Hillel?  Please describe:
Having a physical space on campus, along with being an official part of the Department of University Ministry gives us an institutional presence at DePaul that we do not have on other campuses. This gives us a chance to become truly enmeshed in the community here. We cosponsored the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Prayer Breakfast with the Cultural Center. Being able to partner with other organizations, share our space with them, and share in their events and joys allows not only our students to experience a vibrant Jewish life on campus,  but also allows Jewish life to become a part of University life in general.