For the second year in a row, Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner has played host to a group of interns from Yeshiva University. Known as the Kansas City Summer Fellowship, it is touted to other students at Yeshiva U as a program where the men and women “will become a part of the Kansas City BIAV Jewish community for a month, spending their days working at a variety of exciting internships, and dedicating their nights to energizing and learning Torah with the Jewish community.”
“Having the Yeshiva University Summer Fellows be part of our community for the month has been a special experience. I am especially proud of the positive example they have set throughout the entire Jewish community as spirited observant young Jews who are eager to engage the world around them,” BIAV Rabbi Daniel Rockoff said.
The group is led by Tuvia Brander, 23, a second year rabbinic student who also has served as Rabbi Rockoff’s intern these past few weeks. He hails from Boca Raton, Fla., but now calls Teaneck, N.J., home as do Baruch Cohen, Asher Lindenbaum and Yaakov Taubes. Three other New Yorkers are part of the group: Sarit Cohen from Jamaica Estate, Malkie Krieger from Monroe, and Mindy Sojcher from West Hempstead. The eighth member is Gabrielle Moskowitz from Tarzana, Calif.
Joining them this weekend, their last here, as BIAV’s scholar in residence is Rabbi Dani Rapp, Yeshiva U’s assistant dean of Judaic Studies.
Rabbi Rockoff said Brander’s skill and creativity has been especially helpful in making the program thrive.
“His successful efforts in bringing together Jews from across Kansas City for a relief effort in Joplin are testimony to his growing leadership capabilities,” Rabbi Rockoff said.
Brander said one of the intriguing things about this program is that it not only gives the fellows a chance to get professional experience, but it gives them “a communal element” as well.
“We interact with the broader Jewish community and it gives the members of the program a chance to view a different model of the Jewish community outside of New York and outside the East coast,” Brander said.
He said Kansas City is a fantastic Jewish community.
“It’s incredibly warm and welcoming. It’s really a model of a community with all sorts of people who play a variety of roles in the shul. That’s something we hope to teach the students at the university, that whatever profession that they go into they could be lay leaders in the Jewish community,” Brander said.
This year the interns spent time shadowing doctors and psychologists as well as people in the marketing and pharmaceutical professions. One student who is interested in Holocaust research spent time at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.
As Rabbi Rockoff’s intern, Brander said he had a great opportunity to meet and learn from different people in the community. Rabbi Rockoff said BIAV enjoyed having Brander serve as its rabbinic intern this month.
“Altogether, our Summer Fellows are a very special group of young men and women. It is my hope that this program provides inspiration for our community and an educational life experience for the students,” he said.