For as long as I can remember, Israel was a part of my life. I was painting the Israeli flag in preschool, singing “Am Yisrael Chai” with friends, and learning Israeli culture from Israeli counselors at summer camp. I had a deep rooted love for my Jewish heritage, culture and Israel.
After four years of teaching elementary school, I was in search of a career change and was itching to explore the world. By pure luck, I found Career Israel. This was the perfect program for me, to live in Israel for an extended period of time, and to explore a new career. Even luckier, was my internship placement. WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) is the perfect combination of all of the things I am most passionate about. WIZO’s mission is to strengthen Israeli society by strengthening Israel’s people. They do this by running day cares, schools, youth villages, battered women’s shelters and more, all sponsored by Jewish communities around the world. I chose this internship because I wanted to gain experience working in non-profit fundraising, and the mission spoke to my altruistic heart.
While working in the fundraising division at WIZO, I was able to see the profound impact that WIZO had on children, women, and the elderly. Most of my time was in the office working on proposals, reports, and helping the division in whatever way necessary. However, the most powerful aspects of my internship were the various site visits. I loved seeing all of the hard work realized in the happy faces of toddlers and young students thriving in their new environment. There was nothing more rewarding. Finally, I was lucky enough to have an amazing supervisor at WIZO, her constant teaching and patience made my experience truly unforgettable.
