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Avodah teen intern program finishes up its third summer

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Message: If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/16162/full/16162/avodah-teen-intern-program-finishes-up-its-third-summer/ Avodah teen intern program finishes up its third summer Friday, August 10, 2001 | by MAYA STRAUSBERG Myles Campbell has hopes of going to Yale after he graduates from high school. But for the summer, working on the Teen Initiative's Web site, jteens.org, suited his passion for writing. This internship was part of the Avodah Community Youth Employment Program, sponsored by Jewish Vocational Service. The program for high school students finished up its third summer last month, modeled in part on the older Kohn Summer Intern Program for college students. The Avodah program is funded by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation The intention of the program, which included four days of work and Friday seminars, was to give teens an overall sense of the community and to teach about workplace ethics and Jewish ethics. Teens also participated in a resumé workshop, which gave them a chance to think about how to highlight their internships on their resumés. Jenny Epstein became the new coordinator in June, taking the place of Jenni Mangel, who is now at U.C. Berkeley Hillel. During the group seminars each Friday, Epstein offered time for the teens to present lesson plans of their own. Individually, they taught the group about such topics as gun control and women in the Israeli army. Epstein helped put together a panel discussion with some of the Kohn interns, allowing the Avodah interns to ask questions about college. "The teens loved it," Epstein says. "It was their favorite thing about the day." The group did some activities together outside of the seminar atmosphere as well. Some members went to the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival as a group and organized a beach bonfire. "Most of the kids come to these events," says Epstein. "And they all have each other's cell phone numbers." Campbell spent much of his internship hanging out at "Shlomoe's." But "Shlomoe's" is not a real place. It is a fictional deli in Campbell's head. When he began the internship, Campbell found a project all his own, beyond the other work he was given. He created a site called Slick Fiction. At Slick Fiction, Campbell wrote a weekly serial called "Shlomoe's." Set in the 1950s, it tells the story of a kosher deli and the people who pass through it. Besides drama reminiscent of old film noir, Campbell included plot lines about Zionism and McCarthyism. "It will keep people coming back to find out how the story is progressing," he said expectantly. He developed five major characters including Shlomoe, his daughter and two men who seemed to do little more than play chess and offer cynical commentary. Campbell said he imagined the setting to be similar to the New York his mom grew up in. Campbell himself is a San Franciscan entering his senior year at the Urban School. His interest in writing goes beyond the field of serials. He was picked to take part in the New Jewish Film Project. The project will let a group of teens between 15 and 19 make a movie together that will be presented at the S.F. Jewish Film Festival next year. He also wrote reviews for the S.F. Jewish Film Festival, an article about the United Synagogue Youth and a number of interviews, including one with Nadav Caine of the Peninsula Havurah High School. As an intern at jteens.org, Campbell put a teen perspective on the page, which included information on local teen programs. The Teen Initiative program, which developed the Web site, is a project of the S.F.-based JCF and operated by the Bureau of Jewish Education. After his internship, Campbell took off for Washington to participate in the National Young Leaders Conference. During the 11-day summer conference, 350 high-schoolers held a mock congress and met members of the government and the media. Campbell is applying for early admission to Yale and is interested in freshman-directed studies, which combines literature, philosophy and history. In college, he says, "I will definitely be part of Hillel. I want to maintain a connection. It's a massive part of my life." If Campbell's goals for college and beyond reflect those of his peers, a powerful generation is soon to be entering the workforce. Other interns included: Jeffrey Davis, Jewish Home; Allison Eisendrath, Holocaust Center of Northern California; Anya Grossman, Judah L. Magnes Museum; Joshua Hopstone, Ramah Day Camp; Marina Kerman, Jewish Home; Yelena Mikityanskaya, JVS; Simon Ogus, New Bridges; Joshua Reynolds, JCF - Business & Professionals Division; Anna Rudovsky, JVS. Also: Joseph Ruzer, Oakland Midrasha; Erica Schoenberg, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco-Club 18; Beata Shneyer, Jewish Community Relations Council; Sachi Sosna, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Kseniya Tuchinskaya, Menorah Park; Nicole Wilson, Gan Sameach Nursery School; Saleet Wolf, JVS; Travis Zier, Congregation Emanu El.

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