A
s Leah Guskin reflects upon her internship at the
Westside Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles,
all she can say is: “It has been such an incredible opportu-
nity for me.”
A student in the School of Jewish Nonprofit Management
who is simultaneously working on a Masters in Communi-
cation Management at the University of Southern California
–
thanks to a unique partnership between the two institu-
tions – her role as a communications specialist for the local
nonprofit seems like the perfect match.
Guskin spends three days a week on site creating every-
thing from a monthly e-newsletter to a list of branding
requirements for program partners. For her, the work
represents the opportunity to take what she’s learned
in the classroom and apply it to actual situations.
“
I’ve had to write press releases and marketing plans in
class, and now have the chance to do real ones,” she says.
“
The internship component of the program is really an
opportunity to come into your own as a professional.”
Leah Guskin
Jewish Nonprofit Management Student/Los Angeles
32
David Gerber
Rabbinical Student/Cincinnati
Some studies have predicted that by the end of next year, the majority
of Americans will have a smartphone,” notes David Gerber. “Not only are
they an integral part of our business and personal
lives, but they have the potential to revolutionize
the way we approach Jewish engagement.”
Gerber holds a B.A. in Telecommunications,
focusing on media design and production, and is
now applying his expertise to increasing Reform
Judaism’s technological presence through the use
of QR (mobile bar codes). “With the support
of the faculty, I have created The QR Project
(
TheQRProject.org), and HUC-JIR is among
the first organizations to explore the use of this
technology outside of the marketing realm.”
Working with congregations throughout the coun-
try to explore the potential for integrating mobile
technology into Jewish life, the QR Project offers
free resources for individual learners and commu-
nal educators, many of which take advantage of
the wide array of resources available at HUC-JIR.
“
Young adults in their 20s and 30s are our most mobile constituency. In fact,
it is very possible that the place where they spend the most time is on their
mobile devices,”
he explains.
“
My QR Project is demonstrating how we can
effectively deliver meaningful Jewish content in a way that naturally attracts
and connects to young adults. Technology is one of the many languages of
outreach, and it is a language that young adults speak fluently.”
Technology advances very quickly, so the importance of this project goes
beyond QR codes. “With The QR Project, I hope to establish HUC-JIR as a
trendsetter in the technological world. I believe that HUC-JIR can offer the
resources for future Jewish leaders to be technologically proficient and, in
doing so, can have a global impact on the accessibility of Jewish education.”
Rabbinical student David Gerber
demonstrates the use of mobile
bar codes to provide access to
HUC-JIR’s free resources for
learners and educators.
“
