JVS Careers Is Carrying on the Workum Legacy
Date: 09-01-2021 | Category: Blog,For Students | Reading Time: 8 Minutes
“The Workum Fund has partnered with JVS Careers for the past three years, and in that time we’ve gotten to know the organization and see firsthand the amazing work it does,” said Elli Workum. “It wasn’t an easy choice, but I trust the JVS Careers team to carry on the Workum Fund legacy.”
Elli is the most recent in a long line of women who have stewarded the Workum Fund from its origins as a scholarship fund to the institution that we know today—providing paid, supervised internships in local Jewish agencies to Cincinnati college students. For years Elli—along with Laura Glassman, Amy Magenheim, and the Workum staff—provided college students with career-related work experience and the opportunity to learn about the operations of Jewish nonprofit agencies.
The Workum Fund internships provide more than training. “They’re an investment in our up-and-coming Jewish leaders, in the amazing talent that our Jewish community has,” said Kim Slaton, Managing Director of JVS Careers. “Not only that, these internships allow young adults a window into what Jewish communal work is like, inspiring many of them to consider careers in our organizations, or to get more involved in Jewish Cincinnati.”
“My Workum internship was the perfect opportunity for me,” said former Workum intern, Gail Duke. “I was able to focus on social media marketing, and I learned a lot about the Jewish community and all of the opportunities it offers, and different ways to stay engaged.”
“I am so, so grateful to have had Gail as my intern,” said Erica Nyberg, Development Marketing Director at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. “She brought so many creative ideas to our young adult social media presence, and even helped create a plan for us to continue to use after her internship was over. It was a mutually beneficial situation.”
This year, JVS Careers took over the operation of the Workum Fund Internship Program, and is now administering all three of Jewish Cincinnati’s internship programs, including Careers Cincinnati and Onward Israel.
“We provide our students with so many different and exciting internship opportunities,” said Slaton, “but it’s truly an honor to carry on the 104-year-old Workum family legacy of service.”
This year, nine exceptional college students were chosen to participate in the Workum Fund Internship Program at Jewish organizations and congregations across Cincinnati:
Renee Blachman
Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center
Digital and Promotions Intern
Renee Blachman is a rising fourth-year student at Washington University in St. Louis and is double-majoring in Global Health and Spanish.
Outside of the classroom, Renee is a tour guide and on a Bollywood fusion dance team! After graduation, she plans to work abroad and eventually be in the business side of healthcare. At Indian Hill High School, she ran cross country and was involved in BBYO.
Renee was the Digital and Promotions Intern for The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.
Gabe Deutch
Jewish Cemeteries of Great Cincinnati
Research Intern
Gabe Deutch is a rising second-year Computer Science and Engineering student at The Ohio State University. After graduation, he wants to pursue a career in technology, but is still exploring the various options within that.
While attending Sycamore High School, Gabe was an active participant in the band, participating in both marching band and pep band in all four of his years. This has extended to college where he is currently a member of the Ohio State athletic band. Additionally, he was and continues to be an active member in the Jewish community through student teaching at his synagogue and participating in a wide variety of Jewish youth organizations.
Gabe was a Research Intern at the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati.
Emma Duhamel
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Planning and Allocations Intern
Emma Duhamel is a rising fourth-year student at the University of Cincinnati where they’re studying philosophy, social justice, and queer theory. Emma has always been passionate about the Jewish world and aspires to be a rabbi. In their free time, you can find Emma exploring Cincinnati’s food scene and learning about wine.
Emma Duhamel was a Planning and Allocations Intern at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
Brooke Fogel
Mayerson JCC – Camp at the J
Communications Intern
Brooke Fogel is a rising third-year student at The Ohio State University studying Strategic Communications with a Psychology minor. After graduation, she is interested in working within advertising, social media, event coordination, or something related.
While attending Mason High School, she was a member of National Honors Society, a competitive dancer, and Senior VP of Marketing for a student-led bank.
Brooke currently serves as the Vice President of Programming for her sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi.
Brooke Fogel was a Communications Intern at the Mayerson JCC for Camp at the J.
Fletcher Guttman
Northern Hills Synagogue
Office Intern
Fletcher Guttman is a rising third-year Judaic Studies major at the University of Cincinnati. After graduation, he plans to go into Jewish non-profit work before going into rabbinical school.
While attending Walnut Hills High School, he mainly focused his work on theater, earning him a CAPPIE award in 2017 for Best Supporting Actor in the musical Ragtime. Subsequently, he took a semester off to attend Heller High School in Israel. He is involved today at the Cincinnati Hillel where he plans to continue to cook for them.
Fletcher Guttman was an Intern at Northern Hills Synagogue.
Ariela Kurtzer
ish
Marketing & Design Intern
Arela Kurtzer is a rising second-year student at the University of Cincinnati in the business honors program double majoring in Operations Management and International Business with a Spanish minor. Her plans are to combine her passion for art and theater with business to work as a leader in a creative industry or for socially responsible organizations.
In high school she was active in the Jewish and theater community, serving as president of her BBYO chapter and earning a certificate in Acting from CCM. She is now involved with Hillel and Chabad at UC as well as serving as the Diversity and Inclusion Officer for her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha.
Ariela was the Marketing & Design Intern for ish.
Sam Vogel
Ohr Torah Cincinnati
Research Associate
Sam Vogel was born in Huntington, New York, and moved to Cincinnati in 2008. A graduate of Walnut Hills High School in the spring of 2020 he is currently studying Archaeology, which is the study of the human past, at the University of Cincinnati. In his spare time he likes to backpack, hike, play the guitar, and play video games.
Sam was an Research Associate Intern at Ohr Torah Cincinnati.
Daniel Wasniewski
Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
Workum Intern
Daniel Wasniewski is a third-year Political Science major at Wright State University. After graduation, Daniel wants to specialize in urban planning.
While attending Sycamore High School, he volunteered to deliver mail to the residents at Cedar Village. During the closing years of his high school career, Daniel volunteered as a docent at Heritage Village Museum. While in college, Daniel participated in the Interfaith Hospitality Network as a Food Procurement Specialist and an Overnight Attendant. He enjoys singing with the Adath Israel High Holy Days Choir. Also, he is a volunteer at Civitas, an agricultural collective that works to create community gardens in marginalized neighborhoods, as a means of establishing food security.
Daniel was an Intern at the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati.
Sydney Weiss
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Digital and Social Media Intern
Sydney Weiss is a rising fourth-year student attending Washington University in St. Louis. Sydney is pursuing a Psychology major with a Writing minor, and beyond graduation, she hopes to pursue law.
Sydney attended Sycamore High School where she participated in theater and journalism. At WashU, Sydney has participated in a writing scholars’ program, served as a mentor for first years, been on the executive board of WashU’s Best Buddies organization, and worked on psychology research.
Sydney was a Digital and Social Media Intern for the marketing department at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
Interested in finding an internship? Visit cincyinternships.org for more information or contact Michale Evers, Director of Cincy Internships at 513-221-6728 or [email protected].