Every summer the Jewish Center for Justice convenes emerging teen leaders through camps, workshops and youth movements and teaches them to advocate on justice issues through public speaking, coalition building and lobbying. From making calls to Congress to marching at rallies, our young cohort of teens is acquiring the resources and tools they need to become difference makers in their communities. We’d like to introduce you to our current group of interns, whose program goes from early June to late August.
Emilie Badener
My name is Emilie Badener. I am 16 years old and I attend Milken Community High School. I am a part of JCJ because I want to stand for those who have no voice and to fight for ethical and moral policies. I want to help make the world a better place and JCJ is allowing me to do that.
Ryan Biehl
My name is Ryan Biehl, and I am a legislative intern at JCJ. I am going into the 11th grade at Beverly Hills High School this coming Fall. Rabbi Sarah Bassin, the leader of my temple’s Teen Civic Leadership Council, pointed me towards Rabbi Simonds and JCJ’s teen intern program. I am here to do my part in speaking for those who don’t have a voice and standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Caleb Crain
I’m Caleb, and I’m about to begin my junior year at Palisades Charter High School, where I am involved in journalism and the Model United Nations program. I’m excited to work on immigration reform, refugees, and economic justice issues as an intern with JCJ.
Jack Dudley
I’m a rising junior at Brentwood School who has been passionate about politics since I was very young. I’m interested in criminal justice reform, gun reform and immigration. I’ve always cared about social change and I’m working with JCJ because I believe it to be an organization that can make a positive impact on today’s society.
Alexa Hirsch
My name is Alexa, I’m 17 years old, and I am currently a legislative intern at the Jewish Center for Justice in Los Angeles. Outside of JCJ, I serve as a chairwoman of The Talk Project, a peer-to-peer sexual violence education initiative aimed at educating high school students. I chose to work with JCJ because of its incredible work within one of the strongest communities I have been blessed to be a part of— Active Judaism. JCJ has provided me a platform to gain valuable skills in the field of activism such as lobbying my representatives, writing scripts for those wishing to make their voices heard, and utilizing social media to mobilize fellow advocates.
Hannah Levine
My name is Hannah Levine, and I am a senior at Oakwood School. I’m working for JCJ because of my passion for social justice as well as the opportunities that advocacy can provide in ensuring progress on women’s equality and criminal justice reform.
Sam Wolf
My name is Sam Wolf and I am a sophomore at Beverly Hills High School. I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and hiking. I’m interning at JCJ because I am passionate about tikkun olam, the Jewish teaching that implores us to repair the brokenness in our world. At JCJ, I hope I can make a difference in areas such as civil rights, immigration, and gun violence prevention.