Hired, Fired, and Rehired: A Pandemic Intern’s Tale
This summer I was privileged to serve as one of Sharsheret’s five summer interns. While my journey with Sharsheret may seem to have begun this summer in 2021, it actually began more than one year ago, just a few months before the Covid-19 Pandemic started, a year we will never forget. In February of 2020, I applied for the internship after hearing about what a wonderful place Sharsheret is from one of Sharsheret’s social workers. Not long after I sent my application and completed my interview, I found out that Sharsheret was interested in hiring me and I accepted with pleasure. However, no less than two months later, I received a call letting me know that Sharsheret was canceling their summer internship program due to the pandemic. I was completely understanding of the situation and moved on, thinking I might try to apply again for the next summer if the opportunity arose. Little did I know that 2020 would change my life when a close family member would be diagnosed with cancer. Considering the new circumstances in my life, I felt more aligned with Sharsheret’s mission than ever and applied to their new remote 2021 summer internship as soon as I could. I was extremely lucky to get hired a second time, and I firmly believe that it was G-d’s plan and blessing for me to be supported by Sharsheret and its incredible staff when things got tough in the summer of 2021.
However, my summer internship experience was not what most would call average (though no less amazing) because it was fully remote. Everything was conducted online, from staff meetings to supervisor meetings, project updates, and even virtual water cooler events where we played fun games and got to know each other. Despite not being in a physical office with face-to-face interaction, one of the best parts of my internship was meeting and working with the amazing women at Sharsheret. In both a professional capacity and a personal support capacity, every person was an inspiring, supportive, and positive light in a crazy year. During my internship, I was lucky enough to jump between many different teams and projects and therefore got to know so many of Sharsheret’s staff. Some of my work included updating the map on Sharsheret’s website that outlines where callers are from, making sure the resources that Sharsheret provides to their clients are up to date and accurate, and reaching out to synagogues across the country to invite them to participate in Sharsheret’s National Summit week this Fall.
While this year has been by no means easy for anyone, Sharsheret’s welcoming environment (even online!) and staff provided me with an incredible summer experience that I hope will put me on the path towards success in my future endeavors.