38 August 22 • 2019
jn
for college students by college students
Lena Stein, center, with some
colleagues studying about
Israel’
s wine industry.
New View
Israel Innovation internship focuses on
exporting cultural resources
.
T
his summer, I had an incred-
ible opportunity to intern in
Israel. I have been to Israel
many times, but the chance to
intern with the Israel Innovation
Fund (TIIF), a new kind of non-
profit that creates programs to
export Israel’
s diverse culture, was
an opportunity I couldn’
t pass up.
My time interning at TIIF has
given me a new way to look at this
country — through art and culture
rather than political controver-
sy, which is what we are mostly
exposed to in America, especially
on college campuses.
I believe this specific Israel
experience was the most influen-
tial trip I’
ve been on. I learned so
much about myself and the kind
of person I want to be. First of all,
I got to live in Israel for an entire
month as a working member of
the community, not just a tourist.
I’
ve always loved spending time in
Israel but being blended into the
society by working and celebrating
holidays like Yom Ha’
zikaron and
Yom Ha’
Atzmaut really helped me
feel the connection to Israel I was
looking to foster during this trip.
On top of that, my internship
with TIIF helped me further
explore my cultural connection
to Israel. I worked primarily as a
graphic designer for TIIF; but as an
intern, I was brought to all kinds
of meetings with Israeli artists,
wineries and more. I developed an
incredibly close relationship with
my supervisor Tatiana and plan to
either continue working for her in
the future or keep in contact for
future visits.
Out of TIIF’
s many ventures,
Wine on the Vine, its flagship
program, which allows people to
virtually plant grapevines in top
Israeli wineries, was my favorite to
work on. I absolutely loved learning
about Israel’
s vast wine industry,
meeting incredible winemakers,
having one-on-one conversations
with them and, of course, trying all
the delicious wines they produce.
I’
m very thankful for my expe-
rience interning for TIIF and I am
looking forward to sharing the
beauty of Israel’
s culture, partic-
ularly its wine industry, with my
peers back home. @
Lena Stein of Boca Raton, Fla., is a junior
at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
studying graphic design and packaging
design.
Lena Stein } jewish@edu writer
VIA STEIN FACEBOOK
LINCOLN CENTER
Greenfield at 10 ½ Mile
Advance America
Bling Bling
Book Beat
Bread Basket
DTLR
Conservative Cuts
Dollar Castle
Dr. Lazar DPM
J. Anthony
Lee Beauty Supply
McDonald's
Metropolitan Dry Cleaners
Metro PCS
Mooky’s Beans & Greens
Paper Goods Wearhouse
Rainbow Apparel
Step in Style
Street Corner Music
Top That
T-Nails
The Suit Depot
White Castle & Church's Chicken
Lincoln Shopping Center
from the shops at