My name is David Levin and I am currently a StandWithUs High School Intern. I live in Highland Park, IL and am a junior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.  

The  StandWithUs internship begins in the late summer with a week­long conference in Los Angeles. At the conference the interns are taught various facets of the Israeli/­Palestinian conflict, as well as communication skills to effectively promote Israel. A highlight for me, was meeting high school interns from around the U.S. and Canada. It was really cool and inspiring to meet other kids from around the country who are just as passionate about Israel as I am. I became great friends with many of the other interns and interact with them on a daily basis.  

The next time all of the interns are together is at the winter conference which is also held in Los Angeles. However, this conference is not only for high school interns, it is for anybody involved with StandWithUs, including college students, philanthropists, professionals, lay leaders and staff. Here, I had the opportunity to interact with world class speakers and experts on Israeli affairs and to see first­hand the extent of StandWithUs’s reach. I also learned what StandWithUs can do to help students both in high school and on college campuses.  

Aside from the conference, components of the internship include participating in monthly video­chats to further learn about Israel and to organize StandWithUs events. The internship gave more knowledge about Israel, and new insight into the Israeli­/Palestinian conflict.  It was also a great opportunity to learn new skills organization and professionalism. Through the internship I learned how to coordinate events, manage logistical details, and communicate with individuals in a professional matter.  Most importantly, while I gained a lot of valuable skills, I was also able to have fun and make memories that will last a lifetime.