The Excel Experience (so far)
Some people apply to Birthright Excel with a vision. Some are committed to the internship (the long hours, the to-do lists, the meetings) and some to the community (the discussions, the laughter, the network). And the rest? They’re like me.
I had no idea what I was looking for when I rolled my suitcase into JFK airport on June 3rd, 2018. Four weeks later, I still don’t really know. I do have a set of experiences that are starting to add up to something. Here are just a few.
Jewish Identity
I’m still not sure why my parents never bothered with religion. Maybe it’s because they grew up in Tbilisi, Georgia during the Soviet Union. Maybe it’s because my father is wholly Jewish and my mother is only half. Maybe it’s because during my childhood, my parents were more concerned with feeding an entire apartment on my father’s residency salary than taking us to Shabbat services. Whatever the reason may be, I grew up in a very secular household.
I learned the most about Judaism through my fairly Jewish hometown, Millburn/Short Hills, until now.
Excel taught me about Zionism, how different households experience Judaism, lyrics to classic Hebrew songs. But most importantly, it taught me the most beautiful aspect of Jewish culture: openness to all. L’Chaim.
Professional Identity
For one and a half years, my parents, my friends, and my professors believed in me as an artist. I was fresh out of high school AP Art with three years of rigorous foundational training, so my first year in the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts was a breeze. But I definitely didn’t believe in myself. So after frustrating nights at the printmaking studio and countless hours of staring at Adobe Photoshop, I decided to switch into the Olin Business School to study Marketing.
This internship at Facebook has validated my pretty big academic shift. Advisors and adults all asked me if I was switching to lighten my work load, and sometimes that thought did cross my mind. But working in the B2C vertical at FB Israel has taught me that I truly am fascinated by marketing and communications. I have learned more in these three weeks with Shirley, Omer, and Noam than I ever have in any classrooms. My coworkers value my insights, which incentivizes me to work harder and better at my projects. I’m already sad to think about my last meeting (that will probably be in a room called something crazy like “The Potters Are Coming”) but maybe one day, I’ll be back here on business as a Menlo Park employee.
Social Identity
And as I’m sure you can tell, I’m kind of silly. I can’t take myself seriously, nor do I expect others to. It has been incredibly easy to find people just as willing as I am to laugh. I’ve also found some of the most genuine, interesting, passionate people of my life on this program. Whether we’re taking over a cute little bar like Tailormade on Allenby, dancing at a hipster club-bar like Kuli Alma, or just lounging in the park collecting mosquito bites after a lecture, our cohort is always together. I never expected 50 people to be as naturally compatible as we are. The closeness I feel to some people in just a few short weeks still shocks me. I’m already planning a visit to Vanderbilt University in the fall to see my roommate, Melissa Dolins (Lizzy, Lane, and Seth, you too!)
I came to Tel Aviv to explore my Jewish identity as well as strengthen my professional and social identities. Washington University in St. Louis has done wonders for my self-discovery professionally and socially, leading me towards a Marketing major with a minor in Art and campus organizations with some of the best people I’ve ever met. However, the girl who grew up identifying as Jewish but had to beg her parents to host a barely-Reform-level seder for Passover was itching to explore some more.
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work in a prestigious, yet still kind of goofy, company — Facebook. I feel surrounded by young minds, young hearts, and roaring wisdom. The people here are young, yet they understand the importance of every opinion, whether it comes from CEO Adi Soffer Teeni or lowly intern Anne Kramer. Facebook has been just one small piece of my Birthright Excel experience. I found fast friends in the white stucco halls of B’Nei Dan Hostel, amber and rose-colored nights on Gordon Beach with a Gold Star in my hand, and razor-sharp, red words of Israelis. And I’m starting to find Anne Kramer — modern Jewish girl in the throes of a modern Jewish world.
