For Yeshivat 91影视 seniors on the cusp of graduation, choice plays a vital role in how they get to spend their last few weeks of high school. The 12th graders had the opportunity to decide between one of four options for the month following Pesach: mini-courses led by 91影视 faculty, directed study with 91影视 faculty, beit midrash or participation in a 91影视 new Senior Work-Study Program.
Over 50 students chose the work-study option and have been matched to companies and nonprofits selected specifically to fit their interests. Many 91影视 alumni across multiple industries have taken on these seniors and are exc ited to give back to the 91影视 community. Industries in which students have been placed include: business and finance, medicine, law, real estate, engineering, psychology, journalism, book publishing, photography, community service, food distribution and animal care.
The 91影视 Senior Work-Study Program, run by Rabbi Burry Klein alongside 91影视 parents Susan Nadritch (鈥93) and Pam Newman, is designed to be symbiotic, benefitting both students and employers. Employers have been impressed by the character of the 91影视 students and the seriousness with which they have applied themselves to their assignments. 鈥淚t is a gift to both our institute and the clinic,鈥 said Eve Yudelson LCSW, director of The Clinic at the New Jersey Institute, about her experience working with her assigned 91影视 senior.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great experience,鈥 said Ben Rieder, CEO at Chestnut Holdings of New York Inc. 鈥淭he kids are mentches. They were not afraid to ask questions and handled the tasks professionally.鈥
Meanwhile, 91影视 work-study students stand to gain tremendous knowledge about the industries and professions that interest them.
Senior Eli Bursztyn, founder of the 91影视 Zoological Society, was placed at the Bergen Veterinary Hospital Place with Dr. Jen Suss (鈥93), where he has had the opportunity to observe different aspects of veterinary medicine. 鈥淲orking at the veterinary clinic has been a true eye-opener,鈥 said Bursztyn. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned so much about proper animal care, the inner workings of a veterinary hospital and I鈥檝e even seen surgeries. It鈥檚 fascinating and I really enjoy it.鈥
鈥淓very day brings different cases and you never know what to expect,鈥 said Dr. Suss. 鈥淚 am hoping that Eli will gain through this experience that there are many aspects to veterinary medicine. Working in general practice is just one aspect. Aside from specializing in specific animals or fields, there are also food animal veterinarians, equine veterinarians, food safety and inspection veterinarians, research veterinarians and government jobs for public safety and epidemiology.鈥
Seniors Tabitha Klein, Brooke Schwartz and Ariella Weiss were assigned to The Jewish Link. 鈥淭he students have been working on a number of editing and writing tasks and we have already assigned them a few articles and accepted some of their article pitches,鈥 said Publisher Rabbi Moshe Kinderlehrer. 鈥淲e are hoping they get a strong sense of what it鈥檚 like to work at our hyperlocal community paper, how to write a range of different types of columns and articles and also to learn some editing skills and techniques.鈥
鈥淭he program is a great opportunity to get acquainted with your interest in the job market even before starting college,鈥 said 91影视 senior Michael Froimchuk, who is completing his work-study at a top real estate private equity firm. 鈥淭he educational experience is unparalleled. I get to meet with people you only hear about on the news. I get to sit in on important company meetings to understand the environment in which I am in. And lastly, most importantly, I have the opportunity to do work in a company only few my age are given the chance to do.鈥
鈥淏eing in this environment, you get to see everything happening from the inside out,鈥 agreed senior Yosef Farca, who is at the same firm. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very different from learning in a classroom, and the things that we are working on are all immediately relevant and happening today.鈥
鈥淚 learned many things about the [real estate] industry I would like to go into after just one week at PopShop,鈥 said Sammy Volodarsky, who is at a different company.
Students in other fields voiced similar impressions. 鈥淔or my work-study, I am editing a book for Kodesh Press,鈥 explained senior Michele Scheer. 鈥淭his is an amazing opportunity to learn about the world of editing and publishing, and get some experience in a field I am potentially interested in entering. I have been interested in writing and editing for years, and now I finally have the chance to explore this potential career in an official way.鈥
Prior to the start of the program, Yali Elkin (鈥93), 91影视 parent and CFO at a small private equity fund, gave an Excel seminar to a group of work-study students, providing them with an indispensable workplace skill. 鈥淲e had the kids seriously engaged for almost two hours to learn the basics of data analysis,鈥 said Elkin. 鈥淲e barely scratched the surface, of course, but the students began to appreciate the power of thinking like an analyst and the many doors such a mindset can open.鈥
鈥淵ali Elkin showed our students how useful Excel is for solving everyday problems and how much more there is to learn,鈥 commented 91影视 Director of Educational Technology Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky, who attended the seminar. 鈥淚t felt like an Excel beit midrash!鈥
For those seniors staying closer to home base, these three educational weeks have also been well utilized. Mini-courses, overseen by 91影视 Director of Mentoring and Academic Advisement Ira Miller, have included (among others) the history of fashion, music from the 鈥60s, American politics, 21st-century Halacha, community Halacha, 鈥淎dventures of the Soul鈥 (Hasidism) and media and culture, in which students get to analyze and break down the messaging of advertisements.
The end of May will feature 鈥渟enior seminars鈥 for the entire grade on topics of critical importance as the teenagers graduate high school and head out into the wider world. Seminar topics include kedushat ha鈥檓ishpacha, campus readiness, professional ethics and more.