The Impact of Onward Israel
Onward Israel is a two-month summer internship program in Tel Aviv for young adults to explore their professional passions while deepening their connection to Israel and their Jewish heritage. Here’s what a few alumni had to say about the experience of a lifetime:
Dana Weltman:
My Onward experience was truly one of a kind. The program offered so many incredible trips, activities, and opportunities. I made lifelong friends that I could not imagine my life without. Our madrichim who led our experience throughout Israel made the entire program very special.
One of the most remarkable parts of my trip was my internship. I worked for Natie, the branding agency. Natie was founded by Eitan Chitayat, and I worked under him, as well as his wonderful wife, Dina Chitayat. From the second I walked into WeWork, the office Natie was in, I was welcomed with open arms. Working in a WeWork office was an incredible experience within itself; it is a communal office space for hundreds of companies. The people I met throughout the office were all so unique and kind.
As for working at Natie, it was a dream job. Eitan, well known for his “I’m That Jew” viral video, is truly one of the hardest working and most creative person I have ever met while Dina, is so driven and inspiring. While interning with them, they allowed me to work on a variety of jobs. They offered me the opportunity to work side by side with them, working as their equal. I organized meetings with clients, created spreadsheets, contributed to the naming and logo process for companies, was assigned my own clients and led their projects, and I was even able to run some of my own photoshoots for both the clients, as well as for Natie. This is just a few of the most remarkable jobs I led while working for Natie, the responsibilities were endless and all very exciting. I am proud to say that Natie truly felt like family and my last day working with them was definitely a sad one. I will never forget my Onward experience and I am beyond grateful for this opportunity.
Ian Newman:
During my time working with Powtoon, I have met great new friends and developed skills under the guidance of my manager and head of the Enterprise Sales Team. Some of these skills include negotiation, market campaign writing, data analytics for sales, and using the Powtoon animation suite, to only name a few. Through this internship, I have also developed my soft skills of time management, flexibility, and persuasive communication. Over the course of this time spent with Powtoon, I worked on five projects, and initiated a campaign to get college students in the United States to adopt and utilize Powtoon for presentations and interviews.
The time spent with the company has been an unforgettable experience, and one in which I will continue my friendships with those I have grown close with upon my return to the United States. I experienced what a fantastic company culture looks like – one where people are excited to come to work, socialize with their friends, have lunch with new people, and relax on the porch during Thursday Happy Hours. I also noticed how problems are brought up, analyzed, delegated, and executed in a short timeline which was a testament to the great leadership at the company. Overall, the work experience here has been terrific – though Powtoon is in an industry that I am not pursuing in graduate school, I feel as though I retained significant knowledge and skill development that I can take with me into my graduate program of City and Regional Planning.
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