Published in eJewish Philathropy on August 2, 2023
Israel internship opens U.S. students’ eyes to mixing of halacha, civil law in the Jewish state
Bellin, a political science, international relations and prelaw student at the William E. Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York and graduate of SAR Academy in Riverdale, said her “brain grew like 10 times over” throughout the summer as she learned of the ways that religion, which in the U.S. is separate from state functions, plays a central role in Israelis’ lives, from marriage and divorce to legal status and citizenship.
“I didn’t realize how significant these halachic issues were in people’s lives,” she said.
Bellin, Massel and Dubizh are the third and latest cohort of the Reiter Family Internship Program at the nonprofit Itim, which helps people navigate the intersection of religion and state in Israel, mostly through lobbying, lawsuits and advocacy.