Connecting to the past, discovering her future
Photo Credit: Dina Gorelik
By Kennedy Ryan
August 18, 2023
Dina Gorelik ’24, a double major in anthropology and linguistics, spent years learning to speak Yiddish as a way to connect with her family’s heritage.
Feeling confident in her abilities and looking to immerse herself in Yiddish culture, Gorelik decided to reach out to Jewish archive networks across the globe to find an internship experience in archival work. She eventually connected with the Jewish Public Library Archives, located in Montreal, Quebec.
Through the Hiatt Career Center's World of Work (WOW) Jewish Service Fellowship, funded by the Earl and Shirlee Katz Endowed Internship for Jewish Communal Service, Gorelik spent the semester abroad.
Most days, she found herself looking through donated collections, identifying dates, translating information, and updating the online database catalog. In both her archival work and the surrounding city, she felt immersed in Jewish culture.
“I spent an entire week going through archival Yiddish correspondence from people around the world,” said Gorelik. “It’s been really cool to see how interconnected Yiddish culture is.”
