By Dalya Azulai, Youth Education Administrative Assistant & Programs Coordinator at Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA
Last year, I was new to the world of Jewish professionals as a youth programs coordinator. Although I learned a lot diving into the work head first, and through the ropes of the trial-and-error system, it was amazing to have the support of my colleagues and Jewish LearningWorks’ Mentorship Program. My mentor and I began our sessions early this past spring and connected immediately. Working with a mentor has been an eye opening experience and has made me think about both my work life and personal life in a different way.
In our first few sessions, my mentor and I were able to reflect on the year past as well as brainstorm on some planning and ideas for the rest of the year. My mentor has worked in youth education for many years and is very knowledgeable and experienced in his field. We are both idealists or “dreamers” and are able to candidly share about our lives and challenges. My mentor has so much insight about working with teens and overall wisdom! Working with teens has been newish to me this past year and it has been super helpful discussing with my mentor the struggles that they may be facing, how to engage them in programs, and everything in between.
In addition to helping me work through challenges on the job, my mentor has also helped me think about how I can work on my personal life goals, and how these two intertwine. He has also helped me with setting boundaries, asking for what I need, and feeling more confident at work. I appreciate our hour-long sessions over Zoom and although we haven’t had a chance to meet in person yet, I know we’re both looking forward to it! I look forward to continuing to work with my mentor as my role continues to evolve!
Learn More About Our Mentorship Program
Jewish LearningWorks has offered mentorship experiences to educators in our community since 2018. Drawing on our proven track record and success, in 2023-2024 we will continue to connect professionals to engage in a mentorship experience that benefits both the mentor and mentee.
We are recruiting both mentors and mentees.
