Not Just Lip(per) Service

In my senior year of college, my writing professor was worried. Over the past three years she had trained a small group of fiction writers and poets in the ins and outs of technique and style. But now she had to convince us that we all wouldn't publish the Great American Novel immediately upon graduating and that utilizing our skills in a professional capacity wasn't selling out.  In her senior colloquium, she required attendance at the Purchase College Job and Internship Fair. There I met Rebecca, who introduced me to the Museum of Jewish Heritage's Lipper Internship--the rest is history. My life was so transformed by my experience that I decided I wanted to pursue a career as a museum professional.

After two and a half wonderful years in the MJH Communications department, I was offered a position in Education where I would manage the very same internship that gave me my start: it was too good an opportunity to pass up. I began in November and jumped right in interviewing candidates from across the Northeast. I became more and more excited as I realized each one would bring a unique and important perspective to this program. My colleague Bonnie and I quickly found the best 15 people for the job.

For the past nine days, these brave souls have worked nearly 10 hour days (including Sunday) in an intensive training where they have met with Museum staff, heard testimony from Holocaust survivors, and have learned methods for teaching middle and high school students, both from artifacts in the Museum's collection and from lesson plans. I know from experience how draining--physically, emotionally, and intellectually--this program can be. I understand how it feels to be called upon to present an artifact you have never seen to a group of your peers on the second day of training and the sheer panic that sweeps over you as you think "Already? You want me to do this already?"

In spite of all of this, the Spring 2010 class of Lipper Interns has embraced these challenges with determination, poise, and curiosity. In training sessions, they ask intelligent and thought-provoking questions and work hard to perfect the presentations and tours they will give over the course of the semester. I know that they even work together after their formal lectures and practices to study together and to give one another encouragement and feedback. I have continually been impressed by their insights, compassion, and obvious camaraderie.

Today is their last day of training, and it will be sad not to see them every day. But I am comforted not only in knowing that they will be back here for tours, but that they will educate over 2,000 students about the Holocaust over the course of the semester. This work is not only important, but absolutely crucial; they are in the position to inspire the children they encounter to learn more about injustice and what they can do to make a difference. These incredible interns are now part of the Museum family and, through their actions, are a part of this "living memorial." I am honored that they have chosen to join MJH in its mission and I could not be more proud of all of them.

If you are interested in applying to the Lipper Internship, click here for an application, or contact me for additional information.