Total Immersion

Onward Israel internship offers EMU student
a way to help and learn the ”real“country.

Shira Starr } jewish@edu writer

hen I thought of Israel before this
summer, the first things that popped
into mind were Masada, the Dead
Sea, Ben Yehuda Street, crazy drivers, soldiers
and falafel. Anyone who has been on Birthright/
Taglit or any other organized trip probably thinks
of the same things, but I knew I wanted more. I
wanted to live and breathe as an Israeli, and I was
lucky enough to spend my summer doing just that
thanks to an amazing program called Onward
Israel.
This program sends college-age students to
Israel and gives them professional internships
in their fields of study. Because I am an educa-
tion major at Eastern Michigan University, I was
matched with an incredible nonprofit organization
in Jerusalem called Susan’s House, an art studio
that takes in at-risk youth, ages 15-18, and gives
them jobs working in the glass, jewelry or ceramics
departments of the organization.
Susan’s House was created to get youth from
poverty-stricken families, youth who have been
abused or whose family members are addicts and
give them second chances at life. The program

W

helps give these teens self-worth, guidance, work
ethic and a family they have never previously had.
Every day, I walked into work excited to see the
incredible teens and work alongside them in the
many different departments.
My job was to be where I was needed —
whether that was in the kitchen teaching and
helping prepare the meal for that shift, beading
necklaces, painting glass, teaching English or run-
ning tours — I was enjoying every moment.
Every day, I walked in the door to warm greet-
ings and smiles and knew that I was truly making
a difference in these teens’ lives by just showing up
and helping. I also loved where I worked because
I was lucky enough to get placed in an internship
where I was working with Israelis and speaking the
language — I became fully immersed.
Thanks to Onward Israel, not only was I able to
work in a field that is useful to my future plans as
a teacher, but I also was able to experience what
being an Israeli really meant.
No longer was I on a program that toured the
greatest sites of the country every day; now I was
taking the bus to work, shopping for food in the

Shira Starr at her internship at Susan’s House in Jerusalem

shuk and navigating the “real” Israel for myself.
This program gave me the confidence to not
only live in a foreign country, speak Hebrew and
learn the culture, but it also gave me self-confi-
dence, and a whole new outlook on life and where
I see myself in the future. I am so thankful I was

able to have this experience and cannot wait to go
back to my new home. @

Shira Starr of Farmington Hills is a senior at Eastern
Michigan University. For more on Onward Israel, go to
www.onwardisrael.com.

Come to campus for a fun and informative day that includes degree
presentations, an academic resource fair, a student Q&A panel and
meet-and-greets. You’ll have the chance to tour campus and Midtown,
then head to Adams Field for Warrior football.

wayne.edu

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August 25 • 2016

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