(Courtesy of SWC) The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Government Advocacy Internship program has played an instrumental role since its establishment in 2016 in training the next generation of Jewish leaders to be ready to make a serious impact in city, state and local government. Students are placed full time in the offices of New York City Council members and state legislative representatives for nine weeks each summer while attending weekly seminars on various aspects of advocacy and being paired with Jewish communal leaders who serve as their mentors.
This summer’s cohort was the largest yet at 38 college students and the council has proudly participated in this groundbreaking program since its inception. This year alone, 14 council members from all across the city were hosting Wiesenthal program interns.
This past Thursday, council member Eric Dinowitz, chair of the Council’s Jewish Caucus, invited the entire current cohort to attend the July 18 Council Stated Meeting. With the council balcony filled with Wiesenthal interns, Speaker Adrienne Adams publicly and graciously talked about the program in her official remarks and officially welcomed the interns to rounds of council applause. Subsequently, each of the council members who serve as host offices made mention of the incredible work the specific interns placed in their offices were doing, and how important it was for the next generation to see the process of government firsthand in such a manner.
“The Simon Wiesenthal Center thanks the New York City Council for its long partnership that has allowed hundreds of next generation Jewish communal leaders to gain a foundational understanding of local government and its importance in our collective day to day lives. We want to also specifically thank Speaker Adams and Councilmember Dinowitz for their gracious invitation extended to the entire 2024 cohort to attend the July Stated Council meeting at City Hall, and to critically witness firsthand how our government works.”
At the conclusion of the stated meeting, council members Dinowitz, Selvena Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, Gale Brewer, Shekar Krishnan and Rita Joseph met with the interns for over an hour in the council committee room, discussing the life of an elected official and the rewarding nature of their work while encouraging the interns to stay involved in their civic leadership and activism for their community.
