DECEMBER 16 • 2021 | 19

JOIN program in 1987, retired 
from JVS Human Services in 
August 2021 after a long and 
successful career. Weinstein is, 
however, happy to be building 
on Silver’s legacy, helping to 
expand the JOIN Network for 
alumni of the program, pro-
viding mentoring and career 
advice, and increasing social 
media for the program with a 
new Instagram channel. 
Weinsten also introduced 
“Fireside Chats” for student 
participants this summer, where 
speakers from the commu-
nity presented to the interns. 
Discussion themes included 
Cultivate and Grow the Jewish 
Community, Overcoming 
Barriers and Embracing 
Others, Advocacy Locally and 
Worldwide, and the Future of 
Jewish Culture and Arts Pre-
Post Pandemic. 
“The topics were chosen to 
spark engaging conversation, 
and the feedback we got was 
the interns felt empowered and 
more confident,
” Weinstein says. 
“It’s an exciting time to be in 
this space. There are so many 
directions that young people 
can go working in the Jewish 

communal world, and it is our 
job to show the many options.
”
Weinstein is not the only 
JOIN alumnus to be working 
at JVS Human Services. Reisa 
Shanaman, 35, joined the agen-
cy in early 2021 as development 
coordinator. As a psychology 
student at Michigan State 
University, with a Jewish studies 
specialization, Shanaman was 
accepted to the JOIN program 
in the summer before her junior 
year. 
“It introduced me to the 
world of Jewish nonprofits and 
helped to connect me with 
individual aid agencies in the 
community,
” says Shanaman, 
who did her internship at JARC. 
“It also helped me understand 
how the various agencies work 
together, which is such an 
important aspect of our work.
”
She feels that the structure of 
the program is particularly help-
ful. “From Monday to Thursday, 
you are with your host agency, 
learning practical, hands-on 
skills, then on Fridays you 
connect with your cohort and 
explore other places,
” Shanaman 
explains. “It really helps you see 
the bigger picture and the roles 

other people and other agencies 
are having in the wider com-
munity.
”
Shanaman worked with a 
number of Jewish organizations 
before returning to JVS Human 
Services, including Israel 
Outdoors, a Birthright trip pro-
vider, and the American Jewish 
Committee in Los Angeles. She 
also had a stint working in the 
service industry. Now back at 
JVS, she, too, feels her career 
has come full circle. “I definite-

ly have a sense of fulfillment 
working here. JOIN helped map 
out my career,
” she says. 
To apply for the JOIN intern-
ship, go to jvshumanservices.org 
and click the students’ page or 
email Elana Weinstein at 
eweinstein@jvshumanservices.
org for more information. 

Elana 
Weinstein’s 
“Fireside 
Chats.”

Lena Starostenko, 
Wendy Kowalski and 
Reisa Shanaman

SAM SARKIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Reisa Shanaman at 
her desk during her 
JOIN internship.

