Our Voices: A Blog by Links, Callers and Volunteers

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Summer Internship Program

By: Rebecca Thaler
2009 Sema Heller-Netivot Shalom Summer Intern

This summer, I have the privilege of serving as the Sema Heller-Netivot Shalom intern at Sharsheret. The internship is funded by the family and friends of Sema Heller, a New Jersey mother of two who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2004, and provides a unique opportunity for a social work student to work directly with Sharsheret’s Clinical Supervisor, Shera Dubitsky, MEd, MA. I will be attending Hunter School of Social Work in the fall, and this internship is the perfect way to prepare for graduate school.

Working with Shera has been an incredible experience. I spend a significant part of each day learning the skills necessary for counseling women with breast cancer, and she is truly an excellent mentor. In addition, I am involved in a variety of meaningful projects that have a measurable impact on the quality of the services Sharsheret provides to Jewish women and families facing breast cancer across the nation. In the past few weeks, I have worked on updating Sharsheret’s resources for the Embrace and Family Focus Programs and have done research on ovarian cancer in anticipation of Sharsheret’s expansion into serving Jewish women facing ovarian cancer. I also represented Sharsheret at the Chabad On Campus International Foundation Resource Fair, where I met representatives from college campuses nationwide and promoted the Sharsheret on Campus Program.

I feel like I am truly a member of the Sharsheret team and that my presence is noticed and appreciated. The environment at Sharsheret is warm and full of energy and creativity. I especially enjoy the visits from previous Sharsheret interns who are now regular volunteers. I am so happy to be a part of Sharsheret and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for the rest of the summer!

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