Jewish Life Down Under: My JSC Experience in Australia
Down in Australia, Steph Hausman is doing groundbreaking work for the Jewish world — and it's all through the JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) Fellowship.
By Steph Hausman - JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) Fellow; Melbourne, Australia | July 8, 2024
Steph Hausman is a pioneer. Last year, she was selected as the first-ever JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) Fellow to be placed in Australia. Since then, she has thrown herself into Jewish life through JDC, crafting marketing campaigns and spearheading an oral history project. As she finishes her year-long placement, Hausman reflects on her rich experience, as well as JDC’s role in cultivating Australia’s Jewish future.
Thursday, May 6, 2016: “I set a new goal for myself: become a JDC [JSC] fellow in Europe for a year after college.”
I was sitting in my childhood bedroom, probably procrastinating from packing, when I stumbled upon this journal entry from high school. Here I was, eight years later, getting ready for my orientation as a JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) Fellow the next day. It felt like I had manifested this adventure…but instead of Europe, I was headed to Melbourne, Australia.
My introduction to JDC was on a BBYO summer program in Bulgaria. Half of our group was from the United States, while the other half represented various European countries. Getting to know people from places like Croatia, Slovakia, and Turkey opened my eyes to the breadth of the global Jewish community. JDC had played a pivotal role in most of their lives, especially through Szarvas, the JDC-Lauder international Jewish summer camp in rural Hungary. When I later learned about this amazing opportunity to travel, meet new people, and work for an organization whose mission I resonated with, I knew I wanted to one day apply for the JSC Fellowship.
That time finally came in 2020, during my senior year at Syracuse University. I went through the interview process and eagerly waited to hear if I’d received a placement. But then, COVID-19 happened, and the world shut down. There would clearly be no JSC cohort that year. Like countless others, I found myself at a crossroads, forced to reassess my future plans and pivot my career trajectory.
Returning to my hometown of Stamford, Conn., I embarked on a new chapter and started a marketing role at an interior design studio. A year later, I moved to New York City and began working at NBCUniversal. Doing graphic design, video editing, and social media strategy for iconic programs like The Maury Show and The Jerry Springer Show was creatively fulfilling. Life post-grad didn’t happen according to my initial expectations, but I was learning, growing, and finding happiness along the way. However, as time went on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing — I yearned for adventure and to step outside my comfort zone. So, I reapplied for the fellowship and was accepted to the 2023-2024 JSC cohort.
This year presented a unique opportunity: the first-ever Australia placement. Although I’d never envisioned moving to Melbourne, I had this gut feeling that this was where I was meant to go. On October 3rd, I arrived in a city where I knew no one, ready to embrace the unknown.
Over the past seven months, I’ve immersed myself in Melbourne’s vibrant Jewish community. From building meaningful relationships to navigating my role as a Fellow, every day has brought invaluable lessons and experiences. Even though I grew up with and participated in programs with Jews from diverse backgrounds, I was completely unprepared for the depth of connection and involvement among Australian Jews. This, I came to learn, was rooted in an important fact: Australia is home to the highest population of Holocaust survivors per capita outside of Israel. As a fourth-generation American, encounters with survivors were rare for me. But here, the memory of the Holocaust is woven into the fabric of everyday Jewish life.
My work with The Joint, as JDC is known in Australia, has provided me with a unique insight into this reality. The organization is responsible for bringing more than 40,000 survivors to Australia, helping to lay the groundwork for this thriving community. Today, there are more than 116,000 Jews across the country. Most of my friends here have grandparents who are survivors — more often than not, when we look them up in JDC Archives’ Names Index, we find their records. The President of The Joint Australia, Eva Fischl, embodies the organization’s life-saving mission, having been saved by The Joint herself. I think the collective memory of this generational trauma has instilled in people a profound sense of identity and a close-knit system of support.
My day-to-day work with The Joint primarily focuses on two key areas. Firstly, I’m spearheading JDC Entwine programs in Australia. I’ve organized several successful events, met with numerous organizations, and am raising awareness about Insider Trip opportunities. Secondly, I handle all aspects of marketing for The Joint, managing our social media presence, crafting email blasts, designing advertisements, and maintaining our website. I’ve helped launch our “Saved By The Joint” campaign, conducting interviews with Holocaust survivors to highlight our role in rescuing and resettling them in Australia. Despite our small team — three of us in Melbourne and two in Sydney — we make a significant impact supporting JDC’s vital programs through our fundraising efforts.
From building meaningful relationships to navigating my role as a Fellow, every day has brought invaluable lessons and experiences.
I was lucky to quickly meet wonderful people and form close friendships very early on. While being so far away from home isn’t always easy (Australia is literally the furthest place from Stamford I could’ve moved to), I’m proud of myself for building a life here, stepping outside my comfort zone, and experiencing personal and professional growth. Living in Melbourne and spending significant time in Sydney has shown me how special and unique these Jewish communities are. It has been truly inspiring to witness their resilience, collective commitment to preserving their Jewish identities, and support for one another — all possible because of JDC’s support.
Though I may have manifested this fellowship since 2016, the events of 2020 taught me how unpredictable planning for the future can be: For now, in 2024, I’m excited to keep living in the present, taking advantage of all that my life in Australia has to offer, and being open to embracing the unknown.
Steph Hausman is a creative professional specializing in graphic design, video editing, and digital content strategy. As a 2023-24 JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) Fellow based in Melbourne, she is leading marketing for The Joint Australia and helping to promote Entwine’s programs across the country.
Steph graduated from Syracuse University in 2020 and previously worked at NBCUniversal on The Maury Show & Jerry Springer Show. She has also held marketing positions in the interior design and beauty industries. Originally from Stamford, Connecticut, Steph has been an active Jewish leader and is continually inspired by the support and warmth of the Melbourne Jewish community. Outside of work, she loves to make jewelry, paint, and go to trivia nights with her friends.
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