Inside Hillel International’s Summer Internship Experience
Each summer, Hillel International welcomes a new cohort of student interns from across the country, to learn about what it’s like to work behind the scenes for the world’s largest Jewish campus organization, and explore potential career paths. This year, Hillel International is hosting eleven students with diverse backgrounds, skills, and interests for a summer of learning and growth.
The summer internship gives students the chance to build their professional skills, connect with a community of peers and senior leadership, and gain an inside look at the work that powers the Hillel movement. From human resources and communications to talent development, interns work alongside professionals while exploring how their passions and experiences can contribute to the future of Jewish life on campus.
“Because they are fully immersed in campus life, they bring a fresh student perspective to our work,” said Allyson Silver, Hillel International’s senior manager of strategic human resources. “They contribute unique insights, innovative ideas, and great suggestions that directly push our mission forward.”
For Silver, who oversees the program, one of the most rewarding aspects is watching interns grow as individuals and as Jewish leaders throughout the summer and beyond. Many former interns go on to become Hillel professionals themselves, helping strengthen the movement’s talent pipeline and provide mentorship for future cohorts. “My favorite part is getting to know each intern individually, curating impactful professional development opportunities for them, and celebrating their accomplishments throughout the summer,” said Silver. “It’s incredibly rewarding to follow their career journeys after the program ends.”
This summer’s cohort brings together students from across the country for weekly professional development cohort meetings and time to learn from members of Hillel International’s leadership team. While each intern arrives with their own academic interests, career goals, and passions, they all share a desire to make a meaningful impact on Jewish life.
Creating spaces where students feel connected and supported has long been important to Daniela Gonzalez Quintanilla. A fourth-year student at the University of Houston majoring in management and entrepreneurship with double minors in political science and marketing, Gonzalez is a first-generation college student passionate about building communities and developing future leaders. She was drawn to Hillel International’s internship because of its emphasis on community and belonging.
“I was excited by the opportunity to learn from an organization that has built such a strong model for creating belonging and meaningful student experiences while gaining hands-on experience in conference and event planning,” she said.
For Ruth Gittleman, a fourth-year student at Connecticut College studying psychology with a minor in economics, the summer’s journey began with curiosity. As an intern for Hillel International’s strategic human resources team, she is eager to learn more about day-to-day operations and develop skills she can bring back to her campus community. Gittleman said she was drawn to this internship experience after she heard about the community it sparks for students and how “highly my friends who have done the internship speak about it.”
For Eliza Goldwasser, a student at Northwestern University studying journalism, political science, and Italian, the internship offers an opportunity to explore a question that has long inspired her: How can we help people become the best versions of themselves? As a member of Hillel International’s talent development team, she is excited to learn more about supporting professional growth through Jewish values like kehillah (community) and b’tzelem Elohim (the belief that every person is created in the image of God).
Over the coming months, this intern cohort will gain hands-on experience, build relationships with professionals across the movement, and contribute their unique perspectives to Hillel International’s mission. And whether they pursue careers in Jewish communal service or bring their experiences into other fields, the lessons and connections they build this summer will continue to shape the future of Jewish life long after their internships ends.