This month, the Brandeis Center launched a new Harvard Winternship (or winter internship) Program based on a new model for January internships developed by Harvard College and the Harvard Club of Washington.  In its inaugural year, LDB welcomes two Harvard students, David Leeds and Dilia Zwart, who will spend their winter break working for the Brandeis Center, advancing civil rights and fighting anti-Semitism.

David Leeds, one of LDB’s winterns from Harvard

David, a college sophomore and American History & Literature major, is interning with LDB from December 29 through January 23 here in Washington, DC.  His past internships have had him working with elected officials in the New York City area and were primarily focused on either election campaigns or on office management.  This winter marks his first internship experience in the field of law and public policy, and he is planning to attend law school after the completion of his undergraduate studies.  Dilia, a senior and Anthropology major, is interning from January 11 through the 23rd through a correspondence from Boston.  Her past internships have taken her to the European Parliament to work on issues related to human rights and foreign affairs and to Bosnia-Herzegovina as a teaching fellow.  At Harvard, she interns for the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.  This internship combines her interest in education and public policy, and adds the new perspective of law.

Dilia Zwart, a wintern for LDB from Harvard

The students first got into contact with the Brandeis team through Harvard’s Office of Career Services.  LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus advertised the opportunity with the Brandeis Center with a description of the center’s mission and general mode of operations: “We are nonprofit public interest civil and human rights advocacy organization.  Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all.  Our particular mandate is to combat anti-Semitism in higher education through research, education, and legal advocacy.”  He also outlined his hopes for the interns’ experiences with the Center, writing, “I would hope that they would get a sense of the day-to-day workings of a civil and human rights organization; learn about civil rights legal advocacy; and get experience in specific projects, most likely focus on communications functions, e.g., drafting press releases, etc.”

David’s first assignment with LDB had him help with the management of LDB’s second annual National Law Student Leadership Conference.  There, he communicated firsthand with the distinguished speakers and student guests and discussed what the Brandeis Center and its affiliates across the country have been doing in their fight against injustice and campus anti-Semitism.  He also took photographs throughout the conference and added them to the article he wrote about the event for the Brandeis Blog.  Since the conference, most of David’s assignments have been focused on writing and research.  He compiled the January edition of our monthly Brandeis Brief, updated the Brandeis Blog with news of the University of Chicago’s recent free speech policy, and assisted with several assorted research projects.  He is also currently helping the Brandeis Center to keep its website up-to-date.  David says of his decision to apply to the Brandeis program: “I was drawn to the opportunity with the Brandeis Center because of my long-time interests in public policy and in civil rights advocacy.  LDB’s internship program offers a great way to learn how to positively affect policy from a non-governmental perspective through legal action.  Having grown up among Jewish friends and family members, the mission of fighting campus anti-Semitism is especially important to me, and I hope to carry the mission beyond my time with the Brandeis Center.”

Since recently joining the Brandeis team, Dilia has been working on a blog post for the Brandeis Blog about the recent UK report “Government Action on Anti-Semitism.”  The UK report indicates important steps towards stemming the upsurge of anti-Semitism in the UK; however, it does not adopt the EUMC definition of anti-Semitism.  Dilia wanted to join the Brandeis Center based on her past internships and experiences abroad.  “I want to learn more about civil and human rights in a legal setting in the United States,” Dilia explains.  “After spending eight months studying, researching, and teaching in the Balkans, I am particularly interested in education as an avenue to change behaviors and attitudes.  As the Brandeis Center focuses its advocacy on college campuses, I look forward to experiencing the inner workings of the Brandeis Center and how it coordinates effectively for justice.  Furthermore, growing up with a grandmother who vividly recalls World War II in the Netherlands, and after visiting Israel with close Jewish family friends, I want to learn more about efforts to combat anti-Semitism in the United States and abroad.”

The Brandeis Center is thrilled to welcome these students, and hopes that this new partnership with Harvard will continue and expand.