My First Week at ENP

 

 Hi! My name is Talia Field and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I am a rising junior at the George Washington University studying political science. This month I started my internship at the Ethiopian National Project as a part of my Onward program. I cannot wait to share my experiences while I am here for the summer and make a difference in the Jewish community, both in Israel and back home in Chicago!  

 Thursday, June 6th was my first day of interning with the Ethiopian National Project (ENP). Immediately, I knew I had chosen the right place to work for this summer upon being welcomed by such kind and genuine people. To start off my first day, I sat down with Grace, my supervisor, to set goals and expectations. Then, I met the rest of the office staff and the other amazing interns. As I got settled, the other interns got me acquainted with the office culture and what it is like working at ENP. The day before, a couple of the interns told me they went to a ceremony honoring the lives of Ethiopian Jews who attempted to immigrate to Jerusalem, but perished on their journey. This memorial day coincided with Yom Yerushalayim, a day that commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem following the Six-day War, recognizing the dream of Ethiopian Jews to return to the Holy Land. I heard about the difference in how the Ethiopian Jewish community prayed, how they used a language called ge’ez during prayer, and that their spiritual leaders are called ‘kessim’. This introduction to parts of Ethiopian Jewish culture was fascinating, and I cannot wait to learn more about Ethiopian Jewry and the practices they’ve maintained for hundreds of years. 

    In addition to preparing my tasks specific for ENP, I have gotten to know the other interns. Although they are from all over the United States, we’ve all seemingly made connections to one another (Jewish Geography is the best!), and getting to know each other has felt so natural. The more I’ve gotten to talk to my new co-workers, the more excited I am to work with them and contribute to such an amazing organization. Together, we are preparing for an event on June 16th, where we will head to Jerusalem to attend a ceremony for ENP’s SPACE (School Performance and Community Empowerment) Scholastic Assistance Program. We will have time to get to know some of the students beforehand. I’m excited to meet the students in person and finally be able to see firsthand the impact ENP has had on these kids' lives.

    Today, June 16th, the other interns and I went to Jerusalem for the fifth annual ENP-JFGP-SB National Youth Summit where students participating in the ENP SPACE program and Medical/Dental scholarship program were recognized for academic achievements. Prior to programming, I spent some quality time with some of the other interns in the Old City. We strolled through Machne Yehuda early Sunday morning, enjoying the calm quiet that lingered over the stalls, and made sure to stop at Marzipan for some rugelach. Then we made our way to the Kotel, observing the men and women praying shacharit, their morning prayers, and taking our own moments to pray at the holy site. Then, together, we made our way over to the Youth Summit to prepare for meeting the students and making sure the event ran smoothly. Before the formal programming, we split into groups with the students to get to know each other and play some games. I, along with my other interns Greg and Joseph, spent an hour with about 20 Ethiopian-Israeli high school girls, ranging from ages 12 to 17. We all shared our favorite music and played ‘The Wind Blows To’ in order to get to know one another better. We also played musical chairs and hangman (in Hebrew!). It was really fun to hang out with the students, especially once they came out of their shells and felt comfortable with us, and we really got to see their energetic, bubbly personalities shine through. After a fun, somewhat chaotic hour, we headed to the auditorium for the awards. Being able to see the students get awards for their school projects was definitely a highlight of the day, especially as their friends cheered them on with so much excitement and support. It was equally as special to see medical students being recognized for their hard work, serving as role models for their younger peers, and highlighting how far they’ve come with the support of ENP. Seeing firsthand the importance of ENP’s work on students' lives was really meaningful, instilling in me a sense of gratitude for the organization’s efforts as well as reassurance that I made the right choice this summer by joining ENP. I cannot wait to see other ways ENP has made a direct, meaningful impact on the Ethiopian-Israeli community.