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Blog #1: First Blog
September, 2009
Fields Road trip 2009
In the summer of 2007, I lived in rural Uganda, as a participant on the American Jewish World Service Volunteer Summer program. I spent seven weeks in the community working with the Ugandans as well as fifteen young Jews from diverse backgrounds. There, I experienced global poverty at its most intense and studied the role Jews can play in healing the world. This opportunity to participate in Jewish social justice work transformed my Jewish identity and led me to embark on the double masters program with HUC in Jewish Communal Service and USC in Social Work.
Two HUC summer sessions and a year of USC later, I still feel that same love for Judaism and social justice. Thanks to the remarkable people and experiences we shared together I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing program. One of the best experiences we shared together was going on the Israel Seminar last winter with the communal service program. The purpose of the program was to explore the current social, political, and cultural environment of the country. For example, we toured the separation fence in Jerusalem in order to examine the challenges of coexistence and security in the country. My favorite moment was attending a concert in Tel Aviv where the entire audience joined the performer in celebrating the third night of Chanukah.
Israel
In May this year I participated in another HUC-sponsored travel experience. Dr Hochman, an HUC professor of Jewish Thought, took a group of 14 HUC students on a trip to Germany. Sponsored by the German government, the tour examined the complex relationship between Jews and non-Jews throughout the country's volatile history. I traveled with primarily rabbinic students throughout the country, visiting historic sites like the concentration camp Buchenwald, attending lectures, and praying with the German Jewish community. I was amazed by the resilience of the Jewish community there as well as the ability of the Germans to address the atrocities of their past.
When I returned from Germany, I jumped right back into classes for the HUC summer session. In seven weeks I completed almost all of my HUC courses. Whew! The summer was intense but exciting. The best part was having Ruth Messenger, the current American Jewish World Service president, as our scholar in residence. Since my experience with AJWS was the catalyst for my participation in this program, it was fascinating to hear Ruth's perspective on the current climate of Jewish social justice organizations.
For the next eight months you'll be following me as I complete my final year of school. You'll get to hear about the exhilaration (and anxiety) of writing my thesis, taking intense courses, interning for the American Jewish Committee, and beginning the job search. I can't wait for what's to come and I look forward to sharing it with you!
Posted by Jenna at 3:40 PM
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Blog #2: October Blog
October, 2009
Fields Road trip 2009
When my parents moved to Long Beach from Los Angeles to raise a family, the JCC preschool was the best around. My parents sent my two sisters and me to the school and the welcoming atmosphere sealed a relationship between my family and the Long Beach Jewish community that continues today. I love being back in this city with a vibrant Jewish community that possesses so many of my favorite childhood moments. Jewish preschool, Hebrew school, summer camp, and my first internship with Jewish Family and Children's Service all occurred in my home city. My family is not an extremely religious family. Rather, our deep engagement with the Long Bach community is what nourishes our relationship to Judaism. For my mom, her participation began with parenting classes at the JCC and continued with her adult Bat Mitzvah. For my dad, serving on the Federation board for over a decade has allowed him to contribute in countless ways. It's no wonder that I seek to become a Jewish communal professional. After all, my preparation for this career spans my entire childhood.
Fields Road trip 2009
One of the best parts about moving back to Los Angeles is experiencing all of the Jewish holidays with my family again. When I lived in Washington, DC for my undergraduate degree at George Washington I tried to recreate the Jewish holiday experience via Hillel and dinner parties. I even became known for my annual Chanukah party where I served delicious latkes to my Jewish and non-Jewish friends. Still, there is nothing like taking the forty-five minute drive to Long Beach to spend the High Holy Days with my family at Temple Israel.
This month I packed my overnight bag twice in order to spend the new year with my parents and sisters. I am the middle of three girls and lucky to have both beautiful women living close to home. My older sister Lauren is a stock broker and my younger sister is a sophomore in college, so it is rare to have the whole unit together. That is why I love Jewish holidays. It is a moment when time stands still and my whole family comes together to pray, laugh and most importantly, eat. When all five of us are sitting at the dinner table, I feel recharged. And then when the crew of extended family members join us, like they did to break the fast, ballyhoo is inevitable. The extended Fields family is made up of charismatic and strong individuals, and time with them is always a blast. I feel most connected to Judaism when I'm with my family and engaging with community. This season I began the new year on a beautifully sweet note.
I hope you also have a very wonderful 5770!
Posted by Jenna at 9:20 AM
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Blog #3: November Blog
November, 2009
Wedding
This October my days were crammed with studying for midterms, interning at American Jewish Committee, and rooting for the Dodgers for the National League title. Thankfully, my midterm grades turned out better than the Dodger's failed quest. In addition to my school commitments, I currently run the Spiegel Seminars on Jewish Family Values at HUC which hosted its first two seminars on child sexual abuse in October.
The seminar, founded by former dual degree student Marty Spiegel, introduces students to stigmatized issues facing the Jewish community which they will confront during their careers. Because of my social work background, I am very interested in advocating for vulnerable groups so when the job opened for a student to run the seminars this year I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Just like any group, the Jewish community faces diverse social problems that challenge the norm and disrupt our faith. Instead of addressing those topics, we have a history of keeping struggles unspoken. The Spiegel Seminar seeks to break the silence and generate a dialogue with current and future leadership so that they are empowered to help when issues arise.
Wedding Group
This year's topic is Abuse in the Jewish Community throughout the Lifecycles and we focused the two October sessions specifically on child sexual abuse with speakers, case studies, and professional insight. The chance to coordinate an educational series on campus has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I am impressed by students' engagement during the sessions. Next spring we will be looking at domestic partner abuse and elderly abuse, two subjects that will surely continue the important dialogue.
In the beginning of November my entire Jewish Communal Service class flew to Manhattan to attend the wedding of our classmate Dena. She met her husband Dan during her Masters in Education year in Israel while Dan was there for his rabbinic student year. Two years later the couple was married under the chupah in a beautiful traditional Jewish ceremony on the Upper West Side. With dancing, eating, and singing our entire class watched in support as our classmate married the love of her life. I am happy that I was able to celebrate and equally happy for the mini vacation that immediately followed the completion of midterms.
Posted by Jenna at 11:50 AM
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Blog #4: December Blog
December, 2009
One of the highlights of the dual degree program at HUC is the field placement program. Last year I was placed in a clinical internship where I worked directly with clients in order to satisfy my social work requirement. I was at Jewish Family Service in their West Hollywood office where I worked closely with older adults and immigrants from the former Soviet Union. I loved conducting therapy and case management directly with seniors. All of my clients had a special story to tell and I valued my time with each of them.
During the spring this year my classmates and I interviewed with some of the most influential Jewish agencies in the city before we narrowed down our Fall placement to the best fit. I chose a fundraising internship with the American Jewish Committee. AJC is an international human relations organization that advocates for the Jewish community by building bridges with religious, ethnic and international groups. It is also the oldest Jewish organization founded 103 years ago.
My placement is with Karen, the Director of Development in the LA office. Karen is an extraordinary fundraiser who has impacted many organizations in the philanthropic community. Under her guidance as well as the mentorship of the Senior Associate Director of Development Ellie, I am learning fundraising tools from the best in the field. Over the past year, and with the help of Karen and Ellie, I have learned that I've discovered that fundraising is about helping people invest in their community and advocating for change. Fundraising is a great fit for me and I see myself in a fundraising career when I graduate.
In addition to my field placement at AJC, I have been working on my thesis all semester. My topic is a case study on how the Jewish Community in Los Angeles is responding to the economic crisis. Since February I have interviewed professionals and lay leaders, attended community events, and researched the various responses by social services agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish institutions in Los Angeles. This past week my classmates and I presented our findings to the school. Even though I will continue to research next semester, the presentations last week were an important benchmark in the process. I was able to get feedback from my classmates and focus my attention on the next step. I also learned about the amazing research my peers conducted; I'm truly impressed by their work. Now that winter break is here the next step is to write. I'm excited (and terrified)!
Posted by Jenna at 10:32 AM
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