When Ally Frank began her internship with JCFS Chicago’s Jewish Community Services program last fall, she didn’t know what to expect. The internship would focus on community social work and outreach—areas that differed from both her prior experiences and her long-term career goals, which centered on micro and clinical practice.

But Ally, who had just graduated from Purdue University and was in her first year at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Jane Addams School of Social Work, showed up ready to learn.

“I love learning, so I’m ready to learn whatever it is I can,” she said. 

Ally worked directly under Leah Shefsky, Grief Specialist and Chaplaincy Coordinator, but she stepped in to support colleagues across Community Services whenever needed. 

“I did whatever anyone put in front of me,” said Ally, who also offered up her own ideas. “I did so much, and I loved it.”

Ally was instrumental in assisting Abuse Prevention Coordinator and Mental Health Educator Bracha Jakofsky with several abuse prevention projects, including a presentation called Addressing Child Abuse in Faith-Based Communities at the Chicago Prevention Alliance’s 2nd Annual Symposium. 

“She came with me to deliver SMART Kids to preschools, and her energy was palpable as she engaged the children throughout the presentation,” Bracha said of the program that teaches young children important safety information through videos and interactive discussions. “Ally has a real passion for abuse prevention work, as evident by extensive research and learning she did on the subject throughout the year.”

In April, Ally presented her research on the SMART Kids program—which focused on its implementation and growth in the past four years—at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health’s Minority Health Conference.

“People absolutely loved learning about the SMART Kids program and were so thrilled that crucial prevention information is reaching faith-based, insular communities,” Ally said afterward.

Ally also assisted Bracha in updating the agency’s online Mental Health Shabbat resources to make them more accessible. Mental Health Shabbat—an initiative of JCFS in partnership with No Shame on You and the Chicago Board of Rabbis—has always aimed to help synagogues create space for meaningful conversations about mental health through a Jewish lens. 

The added updates made Mental Health Shabbat resources readily available to individuals and families who want to use them at their own Shabbos tables.

“We were able to add a printable table tent that we suggested people put on Shabbos tables,” Ally said. “It has a piece of Torah scripture, mental health conversation starters, and mental health resources as a way to bring the idea of Mental Health Shabbat to anyone’s table at any time.”

Ally incorporated those same resources at her alma mater when she hosted a Mental Health Shabbat at the Purdue Hillel in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“It was really well received,” she said. “The students were intrigued by what the Torah says about mental health.”

In March, Ally participated in Let’s Talk About It, an annual co-sponsored program by six city synagogues that takes place over a Shabbat. Each year, all six synagogues provide expert speakers, support spaces, and different activities spotlighting a topic that is considered stigmatized in the community. 

“Ally came with me to each of the many prep meetings with the speakers and rabbis, took amazing notes, and kept everything organized and pulled together,” said Andrea Jacobs, Jewish Community Liaison and Coordinator for Adoption & Family-Building Support. “That weekend, she came to the city and helped in participating synagogues—from set-up of resources, greeting speakers, and sitting in support spaces to hear what follow-up resources may be needed to send out. She did this with such joy and enthusiasm, helping plan this from start to finish.”

Within the chaplaincy program, Ally’s role was to help expand its reach to different senior living facilities and nursing homes to provide more Jewish residents access to Jewish chaplaincy. She also worked with Leah on facilitating grief programming.

“Ally came in with such an open mind and was so interested in taking on all the different projects despite this not necessarily being what her vision is for herself in five years,” Leah said. “She learned a lot and she was able to use other skill sets she had and I think now has an interest in community work that she didn’t necessarily know she had when she started.”

Ally agrees, and she would tell people considering an internship at JCFS to “do it.”

“It was incredible and I’m so grateful for it,” Ally said. “I never expected I would get as much out of it as I did.

“And given that I want to live and work in the greater Chicagoland community and that I am Jewish myself, now I am aware of these services, and I’ve been able to tell people about them, even in non-clinical faculties. I’m very active in campus life—I’m the Hillel president at UIC—so when things come up and I know these resources exist firsthand, I know how to get people to them.”

Ally said the supportive environment was the best part of her internship. When she experienced antisemitism at school, President and CEO Stacey Shor made a statement and made it clear that the agency supported her. 

“It’s just such a reflection of the entire agency,” Ally said. “It is probably the most conducive space to being an intern. “It was the perfect environment to grow and be in, both professionally and personally this year.”

To learn more about JCFS’ internship program, go here.