Hi, everyone! My name is Julie Levey (she/her) and I’m from New York City. I’m a prospective Religion major hoping to get Values and Public Life and Judaic Studies certificates. On campus, I’m involved with the Center for Jewish Life, The Daily Princetonian, and I’m in Koleinu (an a cappella group). I also intern for a global health and social justice podcast non-profit organization. I love waiting on standby lines to see SNL or Shakespeare in the Park (for anyone in NYC, I’d highly recommend getting free tickets to “The Merry Wives of Windsor” before it’s too late!), musical theater soundtracks, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and creative baking attempts.
For the past 10 weeks, I interned in the Education and Exhibits department at Holocaust Museum LA. I created worksheets based on artifacts and Holocaust survivor stories and I wrote panels about historical events and objects for the Museum’s exhibits. I also helped out with other tasks involved in day-to-day museum management, including audio guide editing, outreach, and expansion research.
My daily routine was variable, but usually included a combination of meetings, lectures, and a lot of asynchronous research and writing (a product of the three hour time difference and my affinity for early mornings!). Perhaps the most rewarding experience I had this summer was interviewing a Holocaust survivor and writing panels about his story to be displayed in the Museum. I also had a chance to visit the Museum in person for an afternoon in early June. I saw some of the artifacts I was writing about and tested out the Museum’s new “Dimensions in Testimony” technology, which allows visitors to have a conversation with a hologram of a Holocaust survivor.
I’ve loved working with the team at Holocaust Museum LA over the past 10 weeks, and I’ve learned how to approach teaching painful history in a productive and empathetic way. I’ve also learned a lot about everything that goes into operating a museum.
Thanks to PICS and my wonderful Princeton alumni mentor, it’s been a summer of intellectual growth, and I look forward to sharing more about my experience in the fall. I can’t wait to meet you all!
