for college students by college students

First-Time Event

Internship leads to Israeli tech fair
and new pro-Israel involvement.

Kyle Zaback } jewish@edu writer

I

t wasn’t until late sophomore
year that I began seeking new
opportunities to involve myself in
the Jewish community at Michigan
State University. Staff at the MSU
Hillel approached me about apply-
ing to be the Ryan Rosman (z’l)
Jewish Business Association (JBA)
intern for the Jewish Student Union
(JSU), a position responsible for
immersing Jews on campus in the
world of business.
Coupled with my desire to help
others and my pursuit of a career in
business, I jumped at the idea and
was selected for my junior year.
At the beginning of this semes-
ter, my first in JSU, I met with my
supervisor to discuss potential proj-
ects. Over the summer, Hasbara
Fellowships, a pro-Israel campus
activism organization, contacted
JSU wanting to bring the Start-Up
Nation Technology Fair to Michigan
State. The fair features 10 to 12
Israeli startup firms with the goal
of showcasing Israeli innovation
in technology, providing product
demonstrations, and even offering
internships to educate both Jews
and non-Jews about the Israeli tech
industry.
My leadership skills were put to
the test in organizing the event.
First I formed a committee to help
coordinate the event and delegated
tasks to each member based on
their personal strengths.
As a committee, we were
required to organize logistics,
strategically market the fair, form
co-sponsorships with on-campus
organizations and involve faculty in
the event. The most challenging and
strenuous of these was the market-
ing aspect.
Hundreds of people attended the
event, ranging from a diverse crowd
of students to a handful of business
professionals in the greater Lansing
area. The fair provided opportunities
for positive interactions between
firms and attendees, with most

A Maple Gift Card
is always
a wonderful gift!

Get yours at the box offi ce today!

Are you out of town?
Call a manager at 248-855-9091
and they can assist you.

Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece

An Israeli innovator shows an MSU student
how his product works.

undergraduate guests applying for
internships.
One memorable interaction I
had was with the co-founder of
6Degrees, a firm focused on devel-
oping wearable technology helping
those with upper limb deficiencies
reclaim their digital lives. He used
an armband to control his Bluetooth
compatible devices using simple
motions. He explained that people
with Parkinson’s or disabilities from
war have used the device to fully
reintegrate into working life and sup-
port themselves.
Other startups included Cardioset,
a company that manufactures accu-
rate, non-invasive heart monitors,
and CivDrone, a hardware/software
company disrupting the land sur-
veying industry with its low-cost
autonomous drones.
As a committee, we achieved our
goal in promoting Israeli startups
and creating an open atmosphere
to educate individuals about the
strong tech industry in Israel.
Serving as the JBA intern has been
a pleasure, and my experience
coordinating the fair helped me
redefine my relationship with Israel.
I am extremely excited to continue
developing this relationship and dis-
covering new aspects of my Jewish
identity along the way. @

Kyle Zaback of Farmington Hills is a junior
at Michigan State University and a Jewish
Student Union intern.

SCHINDLER’S LIST

is turning 25.

SCHINDLER’S LIST returns to
the Maple for a one-week

engagement on December 7th.

The film was nominated for

twelve Academy Awards and

won seven, including Best

Director and Best Picture.

It’s also regularly featured on

lists of the all-time greatest

in cinema.

For showtime & tickets,
please visit themapletheater.com!

8.BQMF3PBEt#MPPNýFME)JMMTø

5IF"SUPG'JMNt5IF"SUPG'PPE

Have a
FREE* POPCORN
on us!

Valid at The Maple
Expires 1/3/19

*Small bag of popcorn

jn

December 6 • 2018

41