By Emily Rebenstock
Last week we had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Stephen Arnoff, who recently stepped down from his position as the CEO of the national JCC organization. Although he touched upon his experience working for the JCC, his main goal was to help us develop our understanding of possible careers the Jewish world. Through this lens, Dr. Arnoff provided us with a perspective on pursuing career paths that we have not heard before. His relatable story and supportive attitude allowed me to genuinely think about the skills and passions I have and how I can apply them to my life-long career.
Dr. Arnoff began by introducing the difference between “education” and “training”. By his definitions, education is learning about the topics that you love and the things you are passionate about, while training is learning how to make your education practical. In other words, training connects a person’s professional purpose with their day-to-day life. Throughout his session, Dr. Arnoff emphasized the importance of identifying your purpose. Without a purpose, it is easy to lose sight of why we live in the way we do. This encouraged me to think about what I want my purpose to be in my career and in my personal life, something I had never consciously done before. He explained that a person’s professional or personal purpose may change, but regardless it’s important to periodically reflect on that purpose with friends and family to make sure you are staying on track. I really related to this advice because I believe choosing a career path requires considering all aspects of your life, something that Dr. Arnoff recognized that in a way many of our previous speakers had not addressed. He shared his experiences working in music, studying Jewish literature and eventually finding himself as a strong leader in his Jewish community. Although his path was not always clear, he found himself happily serving the Jewish people and working hard to do what he loves.
Not only did Dr. Arnoff describe the path he took, but he also aimed to help us all identify our own paths that would help us reach our goals. He used the example of working in a yogurt shop. On the surface, working in a yogurt shop does not seem to be beneficial for a person who hopes to lead a Jewish community. However, Dr. Arnoff argued that through this experience, a person has the chance to develop their organization skills, their ability to foster positive interactions with others, and their ability to manage money, all which can be transferred to a meaningful profession within the Jewish world. He reaffirmed for me that I am more than capable of serving the Jewish community because my skills and my passions align with Jewish values, even if my path is not as obvious as some others. After our session with Dr. Arnoff I challenged myself to evaluate where I see my career taking me and why I believe I am prepared to be a leader in my community. I really appreciate that the Nachshon Project allows me to explore my passions and develop my skills in this way.
