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