Week 1 of internships, done. This week I not only started my internship but I also became more familiar with the bus system in Jerusalem and how to navigate the city on my own. And because of this I learned how crazy the driving is here, so hold on tight while on your bus ride! This summer I am interning with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund at the Nes Harim Field and Forest Center, where I am working at their greenhouse, taking care of the rabbits and working to create a wheelchair-accessible garden. Although I don’t speak Hebrew and the people at the Center speak limited English, they are all super nice and friendly and are always offering me coffee and tea.
While the internship takes up most of my day, there has still been time for fun activities afterward, such as visiting the Israel Museum, the Old City and, of course, Machane Yehuda. While at the Israel Museum, we saw the Dead Sea scrolls and stopped to take a picture at the “ahava” (Hebrew word for “love”) sculpture. While shopping in the Old City I learned quickly how pushy the vendors are, making it hard to say no to them and resulting in you handing over too much money for your third Star of David necklace. Whoops. Finally, visiting the shuk at night is always a fun experience that cannot be matched in the U.S. I’m excited to go back for Week 2!
Alexandra Jonas, Boston University ’22, is a health science major interning this summer at the Jewish National Fund in Jerusalem through the Boston Onward Israel program. 125 students from schools across Massachusetts have professional internships in their fields of interest in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.
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