Truth be told, I have long procrastinated writing this article. Sure, I wrote a paragraph here and there while in the office, but every time I thought about sitting down to churn out this piece, I pushed it off. Now, as I sit at my laptop, an hour post Shabbos, I have committed to write. I have procrastinated because this has become what is perhaps my most challenging assignment of the summer. The assignment is simple; it doesn’t involve any interviews or heavy research. Write a closing piece about my experience as a summer intern at the Jewish Link. So why do I feel so daunted? Why have I written whole paragraphs only to press the backspace key in frustration?
Because words can only go so far. As much as we writers know how to manipulate words, how to mold and shape and use our words in new ways to change the way people think and feel, we also know they are limited. But in this moment, I want to use all the right words. I want to conjure up all the right memories, funny and embarrassing and minute. I want to do my experience at the Jewish Link justice. So here goes.
I barely remember my first day at the Jewish Link, which was a Wednesday about two months ago. What I do remember about that first week was that I got my first assignment, which involved covering an event in Teaneck, interviewing some individuals there and doing a write-up of the event for the paper. I tried not to think about it the whole weekend because I was so nervous. Showing up myself to a random event, having to talk to strangers who I had never met before? How could I do that? Could I do it?
But I did it. I mingled, spoke with people and learned new things. That’s been one of the greatest parts about my experience at the Jewish Link—getting to meet and speak with so many fascinating people, learn about all the wonderful things that go on in our communities and then write about them. So I wrote my first article for the paper, and after it was met with such positive feedback from Elizabeth Kratz, Editor of the Jewish Link, I was encouraged and empowered to write on.
That event was just the beginning for me. From there, I spoke to rabbis the world over, teachers and students and directors of institutions, most of whom I had never met. As the days wore on, I became more comfortable and at ease in the office as well. I became more confident interviewing people on the phone and my writing skills were continuously sharpened.
Writing for a newspaper is extremely different from writing for the college or academic setting. I know having honed my writing skills by learning how to write for different audiences and in different contexts will always serve me well. I learned to write under pressure, and by that I mean, the-deadline-is-no-later-than-five-p.m.-this-afternoon-Esther-I-need-your-article-by-2 p.m. In went the earbuds, out came the granola bar and away went my fingers on the keys. Being able to produce pieces given limited amounts of time challenged me to write efficiently without compromising on style or creative expression.
Some other things I have learned: how to use Adobe Acrobat’s comment toolbar to add stickies to drafts of the paper, how to use Google Drive and Google Documents (which I highly recommend), the correct definition of the word “whirring” and how to use it in a sentence, and the meaning of journalistic phrases like “on the record” and terms like “long-form journalism.” I am pleased to admit that I have actually uttered the words, “Stop the presses!” But despite the popularity of the office’s Keurig, I still don’t like coffee.
As one of the longest-staying editorial interns to have inhabited the office this summer, I have greeted new interns, passed along the skills that Elizabeth has taught me and watched those interns teach the others that have come after them. It’s been gratifying for me to watch that process. When I was asked just last week to show one of the newly joined interns the first article I wrote and teach her some of the elements that I try to keep in mind when I write a story—the who, what, where and when, I realized that I had come full circle.
Putting out your writing for the eyes of the public to peruse is nerve wracking, yet thankfully, from the start, I was surrounded by people who supported me. One of those people is Elizabeth Kratz, the fabulous editor of the Jewish Link. Thank you Elizabeth, for your continued support, encouragement, advice and friendship. I would also like to thank Moshe Kinderlehrer for this opportunity, and the rest of the team at the Jewish Link for providing us interns with such a fun, supportive work atmosphere. This experience was a memorable and cherishable one, and I thank you for that.
Esther Hirsch is a rising junior at Stern College. Upon completion of her Jewish Link internship, she was promoted to Contributor and will be writing for the Jewish Link from Manhattan.
By Esther Hirsch
