Mentors stress need for cultural identity

Mayor John Street and his former political opponent Sam Katz had many disagreements about city politics when they campaigned to be mayor of Philadelphia. But on Friday afternoon, as part of the Jewish Heritage Program's Mentoring Luncheon, the two men found a subject on which they could agree: The need for a stronger cultural identity on college campuses. Street, Katz and Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham were among the featured speakers at Friday's program in the Temple University Center City building, which brought together more than 50 prominent area residents and nearly 200 Jewish students from seven universities in the region -- including Penn. The discussion centered on achieving success after college, making a positive impact upon the world and retaining cultural and religious identities. The meeting's goal, according to its organizers, was to permit personal interaction between students and the local leaders. Many of the leaders had already developed a mentoring relationship with the students as part of JHP. Speakers at the event made it clear that, as mentors to the students, they were willing to assist them to the greatest extent possible in their efforts to retain their Jewish pride and find good internships and jobs. "I'm here to help you find an internship in your field," said Roberta Matz of the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia. "Find the courage to do what you think you want to do, and if you want to change [your job], it's not written in stone." Others sought to connect their Jewish identity to their lives and occupations. "I don't know how all of this relates to the workplace directly, but I try to bring a warm, Yiddish feel to work to share with others," said Elaine Wilner, the public relations director of Penn's School of Arts and Sciences. The luncheon began with a buffet and was then followed by a series of speakers. Afterward, students separated into sessions with their respective schools, in which they discussed the program, its impact upon them and other related topics. JHP is a regional campus outreach organization targeted at Jewish students not involved in activities associated with Judaism on their college campuses. Founded in 1993 at Penn, JHP provides mentoring for more than 5,000 students on 11 campuses and attracts more than 21,000 attendees to its annual events. "I wish there was a program like this when I was younger," remarked David Schwartz, a mentor in the program.

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