Welcome to the 2013 Kohn Interns!

It’s that time of year, when we welcome our new Kohn Interns for the summer! The Kohn Intern program spans eight weeks over the summer and they work in their placement site Monday through Thursday.  Then they spend each Friday in our Koret Boardroom with other Kohn Interns working in other agencies in the community. The primary objectives of the program are for the interns to:

1. Develop professional and practical skills by performing fieldwork in a Jewish communal agency.
2. Evaluate opportunities for future professional or volunteer involvement.
3. Increase knowledge of current events related to Israel and the Jewish community.
4. Gain familiarity with the structure of local Jewish agencies.
5. Form a community of their peers within the Jewish community.

We are lucky enough to have 3 Kohn interns this summer, working in the following areas:

Sophie Macks will be working with Women’s Philanthropy in the Development department, and directly with Corrine Levy and Robyn Carmel.  She is a sophomore at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.  A fifth generation San Franciscan, she attended Lick Wilmerding High School and graduated in 2012.  Throughout her childhood, she attended Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, where she became Bat Mitzvah.  Through high school, Sophie worked with Jewish Family and Children's Services in the Youth First program, where she received a Fammy Award in 2012 for her service to the Jewish Community.  At college, she is a member of the Macalester Jewish Organization.  Sophie loves to travel, and has combined her passions for service learning and travel through trips to both Senegal and Peru.  She loves being active, and has been involved in a variety of sports over the years. She is very much looking forward to working at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and learning more about fundraising and development.

Reyna McKinnon will be working with Grant Writing and the Women’s Fund and directly with Elisa Gollub.  A  rising sophomore at Scripps College, Reyna is very interested in public policy analysis.  She is an outdoor enthusiast.  Before joining us at the Federation this summer, she had a great camping trip at Mount Tamalpais.  She also returned from a fabulous vacation in Spain with her family.  We’re delighted that Reyna is here to help out with grant writing and calendaring needs, and support starting up the Women’s Fund.

Karen Gitlin will be working with Leadership Development and directly with Liza Meckler.  She is a rising junior at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is double majoring in Marketing and Public Health.  In her free time, she loves to be outdoors and play sports. She used to run track and figure skated for most of her life. Many people also don't know that her family is from Mexico, so she is a Mexican Jew! She is really looking forward to working at the JCF this summer and meeting everyone!