Guest Blog: Alon Sachar
Today I present words by Alon Sachar, a UCSB junior double majoring in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies:
It’s really hard to articulate the impact that the Forest Foundation has had on my college tenure. With the stress of school, money and where my next meal will come from, volunteering for organizations that I otherwise deeply respect seems to be out of the picture. Aside from academically, pursuing endeavors that I feel passionate about was always something I figured I would do later in life; that is, when I reach my goals in higher education and settle down. Working for the Forest Foundation this past year, however, has completely changed those notions.
The Forest Foundation gives me the opportunity to chase my passions while earning some decent spending cash. Last year I volunteered for the Anti-Defamation League in Santa Barbara – an organization whose goal is to eradicate anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry. Interning for a second year with the ADL would have been impossible, because I needed some cash. The Forest Foundation has allowed me not only to continue working with the ADL as a programmer, but also ensures that I can afford to do so. I’ve also been working on the First Annual Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival, which will hopefully strengthen Jewish identity throughout the county. I love that I can choose what organizations to help. This is no ordinary job and in the end it really comes down to community, friendship and passion.
Guest Blog: Stefan Allen
Stefan Allen, a recent UCSB graduate with a degree in History, offers his thoughts today:
While having a full-time job, it is the Forest Foundation where I find true satisfaction. Although I am Jewish, involvement in the Jewish community is something that has never been appealing or available to me. There has never been an opportunity as unique as the one that the Forest Foundation offers me. Programs such as the Schmooze room are things I liked doing even as I was not paid by the foundation. It allows me to become an integral part of the seniors’ lives, something that both they and I look forward to every week.
The Forest Foundation has brought me to think that I am much more capable than I once believed. Possibly the next best thing to the satisfaction I get from the actual jobs I am performing through the foundation are the people that I am able to work with. The foundation has cemented friendships that I know I will have for the rest of my life. The Forest Foundation I can say without a doubt has made me a better person. I am thankful for the people I work with, the jobs completed, and what I am able to take away from it all.
Guest Blog: Marissa Feinman
Marissa Feinman, a UCSB sophomore majoring in Psychology, speaks today:
I have really enjoyed the work that the Forest Foundation has enabled me to do. I set aside time every week to help other Jewish students find the community that I hold so dear to my heart. Without the Forest Foundation, I wouldn’t be as motivated to do the things that I do in the college Jewish community and I am grateful for the opportunity. I applied for the job in the first place because it sounded like all of the things I enjoy and would already be doing. I love the idea of being a personality that other students can relate to. I also like representing an organization (Hillel) that served me so well in my first year as a student in Santa Barbara. Planning programs and spending time with students really allows them to make or strengthen their individual connections to the local Jewish community.
Guest Blog: Sivan Lipman
Today, I present words from Sivan Lipman, a UCSB junior majoring in Pre-med/Biology:
My name is Sivan Lipman. I have been involved with the Forest Foundation since October of 2004 and have found that the caliber of people I have been surrounded by has surpassed that which I have ever worked with before. I was openly welcomed into a group of innovative, creative and caring individuals who have helped me gain an education that could not be acquired in a classroom. So far I have helped put together two summer trips for local teenagers and assisted with various programs within the foundation (the Hanukkah party and Schmooze Room).
Each step of the way I was given complete creative freedom, which made me think more about every step of the process. I was always given advice and counseling when I needed it, and have found that not only have I made connections within the community, I have come out with some fantastic friends.
The Forest Foundation offered me an outlet to reach out to people and be able to maintain an income at the same time. It helped me understand the importance of doing what you love. The time spent with the board of the Foundation has provided me with many tools and a network of friends that I will be sure to use in the future.
Guest Blog: Aaron Small
Aaron Small, a senior Global Studies major at UCSB, speaks today:
My current job is to avoid the exact situation mentioned above. Outreach. The Forest Foundation Outreach Interns are assigned to meet new members of Hillel, socialize and help them find their niche within the organization, and keep them coming back. I see my job as a valuable opportunity to forge new Jewish roots at UCSB, as well as enriching the college years of incoming freshmen and newcomers to Hillel.
Yet my efforts to find ‘new Jews’ and invite them to the Hillel home never ends. During a Midnight Pancake event last week, I persuaded a freshman living in the dormitory to come downstairs, mingle, and see what happens. We had a great conversation revolving around his first name, Tyler, and superheroes. It was a pinnacle event, perhaps of my entire year, to form a unique, genuine bond with a total stranger. The fact that he was Jewish made things only easier! I placed a yellow information card before him. He filled out his contact info with such zeal and enthusiasm that I simply sat there, amazed, trying to answer his questions as best as I could. The hours of training, recruitment, and time spent made it all worthwhile just to see his face light up. He had formed his own connection, and I was there to help him along every step of the way.
Guest Blog: Richard Sloven
Today, Richard Sloven from UCSB speaks:
When I first joined The Forest Foundation, I knew I was a part of something special. An organization that pays college-aged students to “better themselves and the community” is like no other organization I have ever heard. When I first interviewed for the foundation, I was asked, “What do you like?” “Simple, music,” I replied. Since then I have designed a course for high school students called School of Rock in which I teach them about the history of Rock & Roll. In addition to learning about the music, the students in the class will get hands-on experience putting on a concert, as we will sign a band to play a show. The students will have to promote the show, sell tickets, and take care of all the little details involved in concert promoting.
I feel I have gained life skills from the foundation. Each week we have a training session in which we learn about interpersonal communication, leadership skills, and other self-improvement methods. I have already applied these methods to my job with the foundation, a job that demands responsibility from me. For the first time I know what it is like to have real world responsibilities. The Forest Foundation has given me a sense of accomplishment and makes me feel like a contributing member of society.
Guest Blog: Joanna Katz
Today are words written by Joanna Katz, a junior Communication major at UCSB:
I began working with the student outreach team for UCSB Hillel, spending the summer tabling at every orientation session, collecting the names and information of incoming Jewish students, planning and hosting new student dinners for freshmen, delivering personal welcome packages to dorms, and facilitating individual follow-up sessions with students. For me, the most rewarding part of outreach is when you see the students you meet and connect with at more and more events and eventually their faces become staples of the organization. Student outreach is the best job you can have. It's meaningful personally and worthwhile organizationally.
Morris has also been a huge inspiration to me personally as well as professionally for my future career goals. He notices the power of youth to initiate change. At one of our Tuesday night meetings, Morris told us, “We don’t want to be stamp-lickers.” He believes we have the ability to do great things in the community and, as part of the Foundation team, I feel compelled to mirror this concept.
Guest Blog: Kirill Tarasenko
Kirill Tarasenko, a sophomore at UCSB majoring in Psychology, speaks today:
Today, I am an active member of Santa Barbara’s young Jewish population, largely in thanks to the Forest Foundation. I can now look back and see that by not being actively involved in the Jewish community in the previous years, I really was missing out on some incredible opportunities. After coming to Santa Barbara as a freshman last year, I started to notice Jewish life all around me and wanted to learn more. My connection with the Forest Foundation and UC Santa Barbara Hillel officially began only about a year ago, when I signed up and went on the Birthright Israel trip, an experience that changed my life forever. After the trip, I made the decision to become more involved in the Jewish community and try to give back everything that the community had given to me.
In the last year, I have had the opportunity to table during the summer and meet dozens of incoming freshmen, many of whom I have helped to establish their own identity through Hillel. I have helped put on events for students including a rock climbing and ropes course outing, a late night pancake breakfast just last night, freshman dinners downtown, a huge beach barbecue, a high-school camping trip to El Cap, games and entertainment for kids during High Holy Day ceremonies, and individual coffee dates with students, to name just a few of the things we have recently done. In the near future, the Outreach team is helping fellow “outreacher” Aaron put on a large student foosball tournament and I am chaperoning a large group of freshman on an incredible retreat to Malibu, attending the Spitzer Conference in Washington D.C., and in February I am helping to put on a class on the history of rock & roll music for high school kids. I believe that the services we provide for the community are as exceptionally exciting as they are unique, and I am proud to say that I am part of the Forest Foundation team, a team which has very positively affected my life to date.
Guest Blog: Hannah Laiken
Today, words from Hannah Laiken, a UCSB sophomore majoring in Economics:
My fall quarter of my second year at UCSB was transformed because of my involvement with the foundation. I participated in numerous activities, including Shabbat programs at Bnai’ Brith, a Yom Kippur children’s program, a community New Year’s celebration, and was responsible for planning the B’nai B’rith Hanukah festivities, as well as a JEWLS (Jewish Ladies Society) regressive dinner date party. However, my most memorable experience with the Forrest Foundation was at a “Schmooze Room” event over Sukkot, where I was able to help several senior citizens make a blessing over the Lulav and Etrog for the first time since their childhood.
Although being a member of the Forest Foundation is technically my job, it is impossible for me to consider the many projects that I have been a part of as “work”. I have met so many amazing individuals who have not only been wonderful friends to me, but also have inspired me on a daily basis. Just knowing that there are college students who genuinely care about something greater than the selfish pleasures that Isla Vista has to offer is extremely comforting. Every moment that I have spent with the foundation has been an experience of tremendous personal growth, and I can honestly say that in the future, there is no doubt in my mind that I will continue to be involved in my community.
Guest Blog: Shira Leiff-Griff
Today, Shira Leiff-Griff, a junior Communitcation major at UCSB, speaks:
My official title at the Forest Foundation is Hillel Outreach Coordinator. This means I am responsible for keeping individuals excited and coming back to an organization that has meant a tremendous amount to me in my college career: Hillel. Along with four other UCSB students, I work hard to ensure that Hillel remains a fun, exciting, and comfortable place for people to go. I work for the Forest Foundation, and Hillel, because I care deeply about the Jewish community at UCSB and I want to do my best to ensure that it remains strong.
Working for the Forest Foundation has given me the opportunity to work closely with my peers to improve not only ourselves through our extensive employee training, but also the community that we care so deeply about. Being involved with this organization has given me the opportunity to not only make memories for others, but for myself as well. It is fulfilling to give back to a community that has given so much to me.
Guest Blog: Maia Budnero
Today, words from Maia Budnero:
I love working for the Foundation for several reasons. Many of the things Ido are things I would have volunteered to do but because I don't have to getanother job I can do them ten times as well. I feel like I am a huge part ofthis Jewish community, which is something I would have never felt in a city witha larger Jewish community such as Los Angeles. I feel like I am really makinga difference in making our Santa Barbara Jewish community stronger and moreactive.
There are also many selfish reasons for why I love this job. For example, Ihave met wonderful people in the community and have become life-long friendswith my co-workers. In addition, I have gained enormous learning experiences inparty planning, fundraising, budgeting, advertising, leadership, speakingskills and so much more. These things are invaluable and I could have neverlearned them in a classroom.
Guest Blog: Kevin Sherman
For the next several blogs, I'll present what our fellows have to say about the foundation, in their own words. Today, I present words from Kevin Sherman, a junior at UCSB and political science major:
In the four short months that I have worked for the Forest Foundation, it has already greatly impacted my life. It has provided me with the resources as a college student to actually make a difference and have a meaningful college experience beyond the classroom or social scene.
I began in the Forest Foundation by working on an after school program which never fully succeeded, but learned leadership skills and responsibility from them. Currently, I am creating the Jewish Business League, which will hopefully help out many students looking for resources in the business field. The leadership skills I have learned from this project are immense.
Overall I can honestly say that the Forest Foundation has helped me realize my full potential and motivated me to excel in all aspects of life.
Pajama Party
Schmooze Room today at the Federation at noon. The theme is pajama party, so hopefully everyone will show up in the best of their nighttime gear. Supporting the theme, of course, will be the food; instead of lunch, today the schmoozers will be treated to breakfast. That's right - we will be serving pancakes and other breakfast foods. Hopefully, today's theme will conjure memories of old time sleepovers with friends and lazy, fun breakfasts afterward. One activity today will be a questionnaire we filled out at meeting last night. Simply, the questionnaire asks you to list good morning habits one can get into to prepare them for a good day. Answers from our fellows last night included eating a good breakfast, exercising, doing your hair (Stefan), and what I believe to be the greatest idea, hugging. And that was just the tip of the iceberg; who knows what the schmoozers will come up with. Today's schmooze room promises to be very entertaining, so drop by if you haven't before, or even if you have.
New Meeting Time
Our Tuesday meetings at Hillel will be starting two hours earlier than last quarter, at 7:00pm. The 9:00pm start time last quarter was necessary due to the late running class times of a few of our Fellows, but it led to some meetings getting out at 11:00 or later. That's just too late, whether you're in or out of school. By starting meeting earlier, our Fellows will still have time afterward to finish schoolwork or do whatever they choose, as we will not be getting out as close to midnight. It benefits the full-time staff as well in that the earlier start time gives us the chance to work on anything that might come up at meeting directly afterward. So, in my opinion, there are no negatives to starting our Tuesday meetings earlier, only positives.
Guidance
As I move forward with a book about our foundation and the method we use to create community, I look to other sources for inspiration and guidance. One source that I have found extremely helpful is a book entitled
Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times. In a nutshell, it's about how society needs to stop prosecuting young offenders who commit violent crimes and instead nurture the positive aspects of society to hinder youth violence. It's a very interesting book written by a life-long social activist and former gang member and youth offender. While our subject points are fairly disparate, our goals are one and the same: to create community. So I may look to this book for help when I am unsure or maybe lose track of where exactly the foundation's book is going. It's a helpful tool for writing my first book. I am able to pick up on what I see as successes and failures in the books narrative, and either adapt or avoid them in my own. In this manner, I feel as if I am blazing a new trail based on a general map given me by an experienced explorer.
Fellow Fellows
I wanted to welcome myself as a new fulltime employee of the Forest Foundation. As I write this email from my home office, (my room) I begin to realize what this foundation is all about. I am doing things that I love to do, creating things I am proud to create, and surounding myself with people I am proud to be around, and I am getting a competetive salary for this. I encourage everyone to quit school and move into my office in order to start your fulltime career. The good news is that you would get to live with Dave and Logan as well... awesome!
Jordan
Exciting Times
Press releases and fellowship application packets have been sent out across California. Now it's only a matter of time before we see what happens. The possibilities are extremely exciting. What kind of new Fellows will we have, and what kind of programs will they have in mind? It's virtually guaranteed that we will hear of plans that none of us has even imagined. There's too much diversity out there to even try to put a finger on it. And who will pick up our press release and find it intriguing? Hopefully everyone, but we have to wait and see. These are exciting times for the Foundation, and in due time we'll see what kind of new thought we have with us.
Back to Business
For the first time in a month it'll back to business as usual for Tuesday night meeting. All the students are back at UCSB for winter quarter and its time to hear about all the prep work they've done over break. Everyone's been hard at work on their individual programs, preparing to take our work in Santa Barbara to the next level. It'll be interesting to hear the ideas and plans everyone has to reach that next level. Time to push forward for everyone in the foundation again and bring our plans to fruition. Let's see what this quarter brings, it should be a good one.
Welcoming Jordan
Today we welcome a new full-time member of the Foundation team, Jordan Fruchtman. After working for a little over a year at Santa Barbara Transition House, Jordan now brings his considerable talents to us. Although he has been active in the Foundation for a long time now as a part of the Schmooze Room and other programs, Jordan's role will be growing as he looks over the launch of our new Fellowship program. Through the work we have already seen Jordan do in the Foundation, coupled with the great things he accomplished while at Transition House, we expect great things from Jordan. With the New Year comes great optimism in what Jordan and all the rest of us can accomplish. Here's to 2005.
