Donna Shlomit Feinstein, 23, Houston, Texas
University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art
Track: Internships Tel Aviv | Israel Programs | WUJS Israel Hadassah
Internship: Prop designer at the Tel Aviv Opera House and Photographer at Haaretz
Links: The Israeli Opera, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel, Israeli News Source
Tel Aviv is a very exciting city that never sleeps. There is always something to do, and I discover new things almost every time that I go out. As a fluent Hebrew speaker, it is so refreshing to step outside of my apartment and hear everyone around me speaking in Hebrew.
The WUJS internship program is a nice exposure to living in Israel. I have become very close with the people in the program, the weekly trips are enjoyable, and the internship placement was very successful. The Opera House is a very exciting establishment. Major operas and performances are performed on the stage year-round.
Haaretz is a left-wing newspaper based in Tel Aviv that discusses controversial topics.
What were you doing before you came here?
I was a student at the University of Texas in Austin studying video art, photography and printmaking.
How did you hear about this WUJS Israel program?
I heard about this program through my mother, who found an advertisement in the local Jewish newspaper.
What responsibilities will you have during this internship?
My responsibilities at the Opera House are to create props for the stage by specific deadlines. My responsibilities at Haaretz are to take photographs of Israel on a weekly basis, as well as censor talkbacks, proofread articles, and translate articles from Hebrew to English.
What are your goals for this internship program?
My goal is to make important connections within the art field in Tel Aviv.
Have you had any difficulty settling in? Fortunately I have not had any difficulty settling in as I am fluent in Hebrew and my family (with the exception of my parents and brother) lives in Israel.
What did your friends say when you told them your plan to come to Israel? My friends joked that I was moving to Israel to find a husband!
