Jewish Federation funds internships for Ethiopian Israeli students in Vancouver

Meytal Zauda and Naor Baruch, two extraordinary students participating in the “Israel at Heart Ethiopian Scholarship” program from the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, recently completed a four–week visit and internship in Vancouver. This Jewish Federation-sponsored program is part of a larger effort to identify promising, young Ethiopian Israelis and provide them with educational opportunities that will prepare them to achieve their potential and contribute as Israel’s next generation of leaders.
 
Since 2009, Jewish Federation has partnered in this prestigious internship program with the IDC, a college in Herzliya that combines academic study with hands-on learning. Meytal, who is currently completing her degree in Law and Government, gained invaluable experience working at Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP. Naor, employed at the Israeli Tax Authority in Tel Aviv and studying business and accounting, interned at the Lanyard Group of Companies, a specialized real estate investment banking company.
 
While at Farris, Maytal participated in client interviews, responded to research requests from the firm’s lawyers, and accompanied them to court on cases that provided exposure to Canadian family, corporate and tax law.  She was thrilled to meet two Court of Appeal judges in their chambers, which she subsequently learned was an exceedingly rare opportunity, and was particularly struck by differences between the Israeli and Canadian court systems.  “Canada’s open court system allows lawyers to attend and observe sittings,” she noted. “In Israel, lawyers appear only before the judge involved. There is not the pressure of other lawyers there watching you argue your case.”

With no background in the real estate industry, Naor was excited by the opportunity to learn about a new sector.  “As an accountant you can work in a range of different fields and you need to become familiar with their unique terms,” he explained. “It was inspiring to learn more about the real estate industry, develop my English and open my mind to future opportunities.”

Outside of their work experience, they were both impressed with Vancouver’s “work hard and play hard” ethic.  “People enjoy their work and it can be quite stressful,” said Maytal, “but they still smile and take time to enjoy life.”  They also marvelled at the relative “quiet” of Vancouver, compared to the hustle and bustle of Israel. “People seem a lot more relaxed and polite,” observed Naor. “I heard very few people honking their car horns. I suppose they are not in as much of a rush as drivers in Israel,” he added.

Naor and Maytal were also surprised to learn about the challenges of finding a Jewish partner in a community as small as Vancouver.  Naturally, finding a Jewish partner in Israel is not as significant an issue and both admitted to taking this for granted until developing an awareness of this dilemma for some local Jews.

Both Maytal and Naor were effusive in their thanks for the opportunity to visit and enjoy invaluable experiences in Vancouver. “This is a very coveted and competitive program” explained Naor, who had successfully applied, but was unable to complete the trip two years ago. “My only complaint,” Maytal added “is that it is only four weeks.”

In addition to their work experience, the students also met with representatives from a number of Jewish Federation partner agencies (the Jewish Community Centre, King David High School, Hillel BC and Beth Israel Vancouver), members of Axis, Federation professional staff and lay leaders.

Looking to the future, Naor plans to complete a two-year internship at "Pricewaterhouse Coopers", and aspires to fill the position of CFO at one of the leading companies in the world. After graduation, Meytal plans to complete an internship at a law firm specializing in tort and medical malpractice.  They both view their experience in Vancouver as a critical step towards achieving these ambitious career goals.

Thanks to Jeffery and Sonia Hayes, and Benjamin and Nancy Goldberg for hosting these two students and to Phyllis and Michael Moscovich for their roles in chairing the program committee.