Onward Israel is one of Hillels of Georgia's signature programs providing college students with an amazing immersive experience in Israel. It is an opportunity for students to have an internship in their field of study or intended career while living in Israel for a six-week period. Read about students' unique experiences and learn more about their internships through this Onward Israel Student Spotlight series. This post will be updated continuously as the program continues so check back for updates!
Avital Shimon
Avital, who is a student at KSU, is currently in Israel interning at Abalulu, a fashion company, where she is gaining experience in logistics, social media, and photoshoots. Her favorite part of Onward is being able to explore Tel Aviv and meet people from all over the place. "It's so fun, upbeat, and lively wherever you go," she says.
Lian Kleinman
Right now, Lian, a student at UGA, is in Israel interning at the Society for International Development, an organization that operates in policy advocacy, public outreach, and networking with the goals of international development and aid. Lian is gaining experience in fundraising and social media outreach as well as connecting companies with countries that need help in their specific field. Lian's favorite part of Onward has been exploring Tel Aviv and being able to eat a lot of good food.
Eli Mars
Eli, a student at Emory, is currently in Israel interning at Lilheads, specifically their newest project, a children's app that adapts to the learning style of the children through a completely virtual and immersive curriculum. Eli is gaining experience in marketing and campaigning for the app. His favorite part of Onward is the freedom they are granted to explore the city of Tel Aviv and the state of Israel as they please. Nothing is forced, which allows the participants to navigate their summers in a stress free way. He adds, "In addition, many of the participants come from schools other than Emory such as UGA, Kennesaw State, and Georgia State - I had been secluded to my Emory and Druid Hills bubble that I was never able to meet the amazing Jews at these schools - and places that are all relatively close and that I will visit in the upcoming year."
Shira Solomon
Shira, a student at GSU, is currently in Israel interning at Joy Group, an independent record label based out of Tel Aviv. Shira is gaining experience creating playlists and researching potential connections for their artists' future tour of the US. Their favorite part of Onward so far is having freedom to explore the country on their own rather than having a rigid program structure. "It feels like I'm truly living in the city, not just touring, and gives me a chance to know the area on a more personal level," they add.
Adam Sturisky
Adam, a student at UGA, is currently in Israel interning at Welltech Ventures, a firm that invests in startups focused on the health and wellness industry. Adam has been gaining experience using Airtables and Excel to help create, organize, and manage all the information Welltech has. Adam's favorite part of his Onward trip has been exploring all of the different restaurants and trying delicious food.
Kate Roth
Kate, a student at UGA is currently in Israel interning at HYGEAR, a start-up fitness company. Kate has been gaining experience in marketing strategies, creating content for social media, and finding important influencers for the brand. Kate's favorite part of her Onward trip so far has been exploring Tel Aviv and making it her new home for the summer.
Jenna Schulman
Jenna, a student at UGA, is currently is Israel interning at Purple Lens, a company that has created a plugin that makes websites more accessible to people with disabilities. Jenna has been gaining experience as the product manager. Her favorite part of her Onward trip so far has been meeting new people, the freedom to explore Israel at her own pace, and the wonderful educational trips that allow her to hear about the different aspects of Israeli culture in depth and personally.
Mira Mutnick
Mira, a student at Georgia Tech, is currently in Israel interning at Motor Function and Rehabilitation Lab in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Tel Aviv University. She is working on developing a customizable 3D printed hand splint for children with cerebral palsy. Mira is gaining experience in computer assisted design, prototyping, and creating accessible graphic user interfaces, as well as collaborating with a professor and clinician. Her favorite part about her Onward trip so far has been the freedom to explore Tel Aviv and the café culture.
Jennifer Lusk
Jennifer, a student at UGA, is currently in Israel interning at OGC Global, a boutique research and consulting firm specializing in customer experience management, market research, and data visualization. She has gained experience in data analytics and creating solutions based on customer feedback. Jennifer's favorite part of her Onward trip so far has been living among Israelis and having the opportunity to learn firsthand about their lives and culture. "I have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing and inspiring people who will have a lasting impact on me for the rest of my life," she says.
Sarah Martynov
Sarah, a student at UGA, is currently in Israel interning at Act.Il, a company who works with social media activism and promoting Israel online while combatting antisemitism. Sarah is gaining experience with content creation and assisting the company with locating antisemitic content online to address it. Sarah's favorite part of her time in Israel is a tie between the culture, the food, and the architecture. "If I had to choose," she adds, "it's probably the feel-good sensation from being here."
Noam Kleinman
Noam, a student at UGA, is currently in Israel interning at HYGEAR where he is an operations intern, setting up the start-up's processes and logistics in their product lifecycle. His favorite part of his Onward trip has been being able to eat delicious food every day in Israel, while learning about the rich history of the land from the tours provided by the program. "The Tel Aviv Florentine food/art tour was incredible as we ate Sephardic food in this historic district while learning about the culture of graffiti in the modern city," he says.
Ian Levin
Ian, a student at UGA is currently in Israel interning at Alto Real Estate Funds, working in property acquisition and research. "The atmosphere is great at Alto and it has been a pleasure to learn about the commercial real estate field from such knowledgable and talented individuals. It is fulfilling to know the material I have provided the company has direct impacts on acquisitions, investor relations, and the discovery of more efficient investment vehicles ," Ian says. His favorite part of his Onward trip has been getting to know the locals and being immersed in the Israeli culture.
Zoe Alexander
Zoe, a student at UGA, is currently in Israel interning at the University of Tel Aviv in the zoological gardens in the bat lab. She is gaining experience in analyzing and compiling information about the behavioral experiment going on in the bat lab. Zoe's favorite part of her Onward trip so far has been having the freedom to meet so many people and try new foods.
Comments