When Jewish college students go to Hillel, they can expect to find all kinds of programming and support, from classes about Judaism and Israel to Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations.
But at the University of Cincinnati and Miami University in Oxford, there’s a unique perk: A partnership between JVS Careers and the Hillels of both universities to help students find internships and jobs.
Hillels think about “how we’re supporting Jewish students, and it’s a stage in life where we’re really focusing on Jewish identity and what it means for them to be a Jewish adult,” said Rachel Kaplan, executive director of Cincinnati Hillel.
“But [students are] also in the stage of life where they need a lot of support in their job life and resumes, and that’s something that’s really on their brain,” she said. “This was a way that we could all partner together as community resources, to be able to further meet the mission of Hillel and supporting Jewish students.”
The JVS Careers and Hillel partnership comes in the form of Rachel Marchese, the director of Cincy internships, a joint position between the two organizations.
Like many born and raised Cincinnatians, Marchese left the city for college and work. For two years, she was a Springboard fellow at Brandeis Hillel, in the greater Boston area.
Then, she moved back to Cincinnati.
“I was looking for a job, and I reached out to [JVS Careers] for help with a job, and they said, ‘We might actually have a position for you that you could be good for,’” Marchese said.
Marchese joined the organization doing some recruiting and student work. In 2022, when the joint Hillel-JVS role opened up, she jumped on it.
“They said, ‘You know, you might actually be a good fit given your history of working with Hillel,’ and that’s how I got started,” Marchese said. “I love working with students. [And it helps to have] the background and the knowledge of the Hillel lingo.”
Marchese spends most of her week at Cincinnati Hillel, with a day or so spent at JVS careers, and trips every few weeks to the Hillel at Miami University. The added benefit of being stationed at Hillel is getting to know the students better.
“When a student is thinking about what’s next [career-wise], Rachel’s entering that conversation at a very different point than somebody at a career center that doesn’t really deeply know the students,” Kaplan said. “She’s really able to guide them in a much deeper and meaningful way.”
Marchese also serves Jewish students from Cincinnati wherever they are as a point person for their job search, be they at a university in California, a trade school in Ohio, or working without going to college.
Some of her top advice to students is to be proactive. Don’t only focus on just a few job opportunities (“don’t put all of your eggs in one basket”) and start looking for work as soon as possible – not just in April with summer break or graduation around the corner. Also, maintain those LinkedIn profiles!
Marchese enjoys watching students get internships that open the doors to full-time offers.
“It’s also really exciting having a student who either isn’t from Cincinnati, or wasn’t thinking about staying in Cincinnati, and then they get to with that full time offer,” she said.
That’s the other important aspect of the JVS-Hillel partnership: Keeping more people in Cincinnati instead of having them leave after college. Sure, many will boomerang back (like Marchese did) but why spend all the effort if there are good opportunities locally?
“If you have a job here post-college, you’re going to stay, and we want to grow the community,” Kaplan said. “This is just one way we do that.”
Marchese’s work is only possible because of the community partnership. When she goes to Hillel International’s conference each year, professionals from other Hillels are interested in her role and bringing a similar idea back to their communities.
But to do so requires cooperation – something not all Jewish communities are so good at. In that respect, Cincinnati stands out.
“If we didn’t have that partnership [with JVS Careers], I don’t think I could do this as a solo in Hillel,” Kaplan said.
Marchese also helps the Hillel staff put their best foot forward. Her expertise with job skills also informs Hillel’s leadership opportunities and programming. She’s even helped staff maintain their own work profiles – including prompting Kaplan to update her LinkedIn.
“There’s a few of the Hillel staff that have really great LinkedIns, and then there’s a few that haven’t touched theirs in years,” Marchese said.
“The few that haven’t touched theirs in years, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s get it together.’ And it’s so funny, they’re all texting me, ‘I’m up to 380 connections!’ I’m like, ‘I’m so proud of you.’”
