JDC fellow Philippines-bound
A DOCTOR from Melbourne has flown to the Philippines to lend his support to the typhoon-ravaged country, after becoming the first Australian to be awarded the Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship in international Jewish service.
A DOCTOR from Melbourne has flown to the Philippines to lend his support to the typhoon-ravaged country, after becoming the first Australian to be awarded the Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship in international Jewish service.
Adam Steinberg, 28, was selected from dozens of applicants around the world by humanitarian aid organisation the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) for his accomplishments in community development and his passion for Jewish activism.
The RIG Fellowship is a paid, professional opportunity to live and work over a year-long period in several overseas locations where the JDC is active, and to make a personal contribution to communities in need.
The Mount Scopus Memorial College alumnus told The AJN he feels “proud and excited” to accept the fellowship. “It’s such a unique opportunity. It’s hard to imagine where this is all going to lead,” he said.
Having completed his medical degree at Monash University in 2009, Steinberg spent two years as an intern and subsequently a resident at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, before spending a year practising in Darwin, during which time he worked with Jewish Aid Australia and expanded his interest in indigenous health.
Steinberg said it was in Darwin that he realised he had a natural interest in global health issues, but he has always had an interest in Jewish welfare, something which stems from his schooling and family. And the two interests, he feels, intertwine. “Inherent in being Jewish is speaking up for the vulnerable, recognising the other,” he said.
Steinberg was inspired to apply for the fellowship after taking part in a trip to Ethiopia organised by Entwine, the JDC’s young adult engagement initiative.
He has spent the last two months in New York, where he has undergone a prolonged orientation and been able to develop his plans for the year ahead.
Although he intended to begin his international journey in St Petersburg this week, he set off on Sunday for the Philippines instead, where he will administer aid to communities affected by the typhoon.
“I think it’s going to be pretty intense and quite confronting,” Steinberg said.
The rest of the year will be taken up in Eastern Europe, where Steinberg will work in public health policy, another area of interest.
The RIG Fellowship, established in 1987, is named after the JDC’s honorary executive vice-president.
PHOEBE ROTH
Adam Steinberg is the first Australian to be awarded the Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship in international Jewish service.
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