Faces of resilience

“I wish I could share with you the joy on the faces of the children in the shelters when the performers are acting and singing and the gratitude of the Jerusalem artists to have meaningful work to do during this time and the pride of the SAHI youth hesed patrol distributing food and supplies to isolated elderly and families in need,” shared Arik Grebelsky, President, Jerusalem Foundation, from Jerusalem.  “The Iranian missiles are falling on all population groups indiscriminately and we are making sure to take care of everyone in Jerusalem, religious and secular, Jewish and Arab. There is special meaning knowing that we are all in this together.”

Transforming fear into connection

In community shelters, Jerusalem Foundation volunteers and sponsored local artists are transforming fear into connection.  Youth volunteers quickly move through neighborhoods delivering food packages to isolated elderly residents and to families struggling due to recently lost income.

Meeting critical needs across the city

Isolated seniors in the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City require food delivered directly to their doors. Families in East Jerusalem need groceries and activity kits to help children cope with long days indoors. Community centers in ten distinct neighborhoods are operating extended shelter programming, distributing creative materials, providing WiFi, heaters, blankets, and safe gathering spaces for families and others spending long hours in protected rooms.

Living with the sound of sirens

Alexa Neville of the Jerusalem Foundation recently reflected on her family’s experience in Three Generations of Sirens – Musings from a Shelter, writing: “I am one of the ‘lucky’ ones with an ‘en-suite’ sealed room in our home. Our children and grandchildren fled their unprotected homes to be with us.”

“And yet three generations of sirens take their toll. My children who grew up in the shadow of the Second Intifada. My new-immigrant daughter-in-law who is constantly anxious about the potential for disaster. And my 5-year-old grandson who copes with his stress by mimicking a siren perfectly but chillingly.”

“Even when the air goes still, the siren leaves behind a bitter residue of dread that settles deep in the marrow of the bones,” Neville concludes.

Supporting families and essential services

Emergency daycares are caring for the children of medical teams and essential workers, so hospitals and critical services continue to function. Women’s shelters and transitional apartments are expanding therapeutic and emotional support as stress intensifies, and new needs arise. Adults with severe physical disabilities require reinforced staffing and adapted safe spaces. Parents across the city are turning to online trauma support services for guidance on how to help children struggling with anxiety and behavioral changes.

Culture as comfort and connection

Culture, as always, is a part of the Jerusalem Foundation response. Online literary events, therapeutic writing workshops, and small theatrical performances in shelters are offering moments of light and emotional release while schools remain closed.

Everyday courage and hope

Life in Jerusalem right now is a mix of alertness and everyday courage. Even with the sirens and uncertainty, people look out for each other. Kids still laugh in shelters. Artists keep creating. Volunteers keep helping. Day by day, the city goes on – together, supporting one another, with hope for the future.

Children doing activities in a bomb shelter (Kiryat Menachem)

SAHI volunteer delivering food to a family in need

Children of emergency workers being entertained in a bomb shelter.

הפוסט What Daily Life in Jerusalem looks like during the War הופיע לראשונה ב-.

JF President, Arik Grebelsky, shares from his personal experience that after each siren he enters the public shelter in his neighborhood.  This is a very special encounter with different people representing Jerusalem’s rich human tapestry…. Everyone sitting together, young people just released from army service in Gaza, elderly (who sat together through many wars, 1967 and Yom Kippur in 1973 and the Gulf War in 1991), religious and secular and all in harmony, just finding a way through this together.   We hope that this feeling will continue also after this war is over and that we can carry forward this positive aspect of shared society in Jerusalem.

We hope that we will come out of our safe rooms to a new reality in the Middle East and that Jerusalem in all its diversity and beauty, will be the symbol of hope for the future.

Photo Credit: Arik Grebelsky on his way to the shelter

הפוסט From the Shelter: Jerusalem Resilience הופיע לראשונה ב-.

Shai  viewed closing this East-West gap as the mission of his life and he embarked on turning dreams into strokes as soon as he was President. Convincing city hall, donors – in particular the Gottesman Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation – and work colleagues, Shai championed the construction of a community swimming pool in Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem’s largest neighborhood. He raised millions of dollars, obtained planning permission and the bulldozers got going.

Six years later, the first water in the Beit Hanina pool is finally here. Shai – who would have been the first to jump in  – is no longer here.

But his vision does not live on paper. It lives in water, in the hundreds of East Jerusalemites who will learn to swim, dive, and splash in the new pool.

One pool. Hundreds of lives. A ripple that will reach the whole city.

הפוסט One small splash, one giant ripple הופיע לראשונה ב-.

The program is designed to make advanced technology accessible to children from all backgrounds and communities, with schools from Jerusalem’s vulnerable and more affluent neighborhoods participating, as well as the Max Rayne Hand in Hand School, reflecting a citywide effort to broaden opportunity and ensure that every child can engage with the digital future. Delivered as an experiential course, Unicorn exposes students to VR environments and the creation of virtual worlds, while strengthening problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. These skills support both personal development and early familiarity with fields linked to future advanced employment.

In early February, the program reached a major milestone with a mid-year hackathon for participating elementary-school teams. As part of the mid-year challenge, each group prepared an interactive and enriching project—such as a game, simulation, or other digital experience—showcasing what they had learned so far. The results were impressive: using virtual reality, programming, and artificial intelligence, students designed visions of a future city, combining imagination with thoughtful planning.

The Unicorn Hackathon served as a peak moment in an educational process that encourages creativity, teamwork, and meaningful thinking about the spaces where we live.

Winning schools were awarded a special VR workshop, where Interactive stations equipped with virtual reality headsets will be set up, allowing pupils to experience the winning digital city firsthand and explore additional immersive games and simulations. The workshop will give participants an opportunity to deepen their engagement with virtual reality technology in a fun, hands-on environment.

The Machshava Tova Unicorn Program is supported by the Jerusalem Education Authority and The Jerusalem Foundation. Congratulations to the winning teams—and to all the children who are already building Jerusalem’s future.

הפוסט Young Innovators Imagine the Future at Machshava Tova’s Unicorn Hackathon הופיע לראשונה ב-.

The visit took place around International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked in memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and in honor of the survivors living among us. In Jerusalem alone, several thousand elderly Holocaust survivors, nearly all over the age of eighty, continue to cope not only with the typical challenges of aging, such as illness, limited mobility, financial hardship and loneliness, but also with the enduring physical and psychological trauma of the Shoah. For many, the horrific events of October 7, 2023, have reignited painful memories, intensifying anxiety and stress.

For more than fifteen years, the Jerusalem Café Europa program has provided survivors with warmth, companionship and holistic support, thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation. The program serves both active, independent seniors who participate in social gatherings and cultural activities such as lectures, concerts, exercise classes, and outings, and homebound survivors who receive regular visits and phone calls from professional staff. Assistance with accessing rights and benefits in today’s digital world is also a vital part of the program’s work.

Between remembrance and meaningful daily action, the Jerusalem Foundation remains committed to strengthening community support systems and ensuring that Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem receive the care, dignity and connection they deserve.

הפוסט International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Bearing Witness and Standing with Survivors in Jerusalem הופיע לראשונה ב-.

In honor of Tu Be’shvat, the festival of trees, Gazelle Valley invites the public to celebrate nature through a month-long series of weekend activities designed for families, children, and visitors of all ages. Rather than marking Tu Be’shvat on a single day, the valley opens its gates to an extended seasonal celebration, allowing visitors to experience the park at its most vibrant and green while strengthening their connection to the natural environment.

Throughout the month of Sh’vat, the valley will host hands on, outdoor activities that encourage exploration, curiosity, and engagement with urban nature. At the Education and Observation Center, visitors can take part in “Forest Detectives,” a roaming puppet theater experience that transforms the landscape into a living stage. Children are invited to actively participate, move through the park, and solve a mystery woven into the natural surroundings, blending imagination, movement, and learning.

“A Window to the Valley” offers interactive guided tours and family friendly experiences that reveal the hidden stories of the park’s ecosystem. These activities provide opportunities to observe wildlife, learn about biodiversity, and gain a deeper understanding of how nature can thrive within a city.

The program is supported by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation in partnership with the Jerusalem Foundation, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and the Municipality of Jerusalem. Together, these Tu Be’shvat activities invite visitors to slow down, explore, and reconnect with nature and wildlife, celebrating the New Year of the Trees in the natural heart of Jerusalem.

הפוסט Tu Be’shvat at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Gazelle Valley: Celebrating Urban Wildlife הופיע לראשונה ב-.

Guy Levy, a double bassist, composer, and music producer, is one of the leading figures in the Israeli jazz scene, with more than twenty years of commanding stage presence. In 2024 he released his jazz album Tel Aviv Session, featuring original compositions he composed and arranged for a sextet, and performed widely across the country, including at the Eilat Jazz Festival. Levy is also known as one half of the duo Laili with Gal Toren, with whom he released two successful albums, and as a composer for acclaimed television series such as Uri and Ella, Rehearsals, On the Spectrum, and Tito and His Spirit.

On stage, Levy was joined by an exceptional all-star ensemble: Amit Friedman on saxophone, Katya Tobol on piano, and Aviv Cohen on drums. Together, they created a rich and carefully shaped musical dialogue, moving with precision through thoughtfully composed material. The intimacy of the space allowed every nuance to be felt, transforming the concert into a focused, immersive listening experience.

That atmosphere extended beyond the stage. On a rainy Wednesday night, the venue was full, with an audience of all ages filling the hall. From the opening moments, the crowd was fully present, listening closely and responding with warmth and enthusiasm. The shared focus and visible enjoyment in the room deepened the experience, turning the concert into a moment of connection between the musicians and the audience.

The Judi Shostack and Family Concert Series continues through July 29 with twenty concerts in total, bringing leading musicians to the Yellow Submarine and reaffirming it as the Jerusalem home for contemporary jazz.

הפוסט A Little Jazz: The Judi Shostack and Family Concert Series הופיע לראשונה ב-.

Jerusalem Food Rescuers began seven years ago with a simple idea: that surplus food could serve people rather than go to waste. What started as a single communal meal cooked from unsold produce collected at the close of Machane Yehuda Market revealed the power of food to create connection, dignity, and shared responsibility.

With the founding and ongoing support of the Jerusalem Foundation, this initiative has grown into a citywide movement committed to building a sustainable, efficient and community driven urban food system in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Food Rescuers operates the central hub for surplus produce at Jerusalem’s Wholesale Market, rescuing approximately ten to fifteen tons of food each week and redistributing it through twenty-eight sites across the city, reaching thousands of residents.

Beyond food rescue, the organization advances food sustainability through education and policy advocacy, in close partnership with the Jerusalem Foundation. This work promotes civic engagement, integrates food security into municipal planning, and develops scalable models for urban transformation. A key expression of this effort is Israel’s first Visitors Center dedicated to food waste, food literacy, and sustainability, which has welcomed more than eighteen thousand visitors to date.

A core pillar of the organization’s work, is building partnerships that reflect Jerusalem’s social and cultural diversity. Current collaborations include six partners in East Jerusalem, working in communities such as Al Walaje, A-Tur, Silwan, and Beit Tzafafa, alongside the Jerusalem Intercultural Center and the Domari Association. Additional institutions, including the Ibdaa School for the Arts and David Yellin College’s Arab teacher training program, have expressed strong interest in future collaboration.

After seven years of growth and learning, Jerusalem Food Rescuers continues to expand food justice as both a practical and educational model through a community led, inclusive, and culturally rooted approach. Through this work, food becomes more than nourishment, serving as a catalyst for dignity, sustainability, and environmental awareness in one of Jerusalem’s most vibrant and complex areas.

הפוסט Food Rescuers: from a Small Initiative to a Citywide Movement הופיע לראשונה ב-.

The past 2 years in Israel were difficult, marked by war, fear and tangible tension which impacted everyone but especially the residents of the Old City who are underserved minorities. The war added to the financial struggles and overall stress faced in the area. Above all, the Christmas Market was a celebration of community, empowerment, togetherness and resilience, carrying hope of return to brighter days.

הפוסט Christmas Market in the Old City הופיע לראשונה ב-.

Nurturing the next generation of dynamic civil society leaders is a central pillar of the Jerusalem Foundation’s mission. Our trailblazing Shai Doron Leadership Fellows Program, designed to cultivate highly trained, talented, and deeply committed leaders of social enterprises, is now well underway.

Selected from across the full spectrum of Jerusalem’s communities, the Fellows are participating in a customized professional development journey that equips them with the tools, insight, and support needed to launch and lead impactful civil society initiatives.

Pathways to Leadership

The program approaches leadership as an evolving process of deep listening, reflection, and purposeful action. Fellows are guided from exploration and complexity toward informed, practical initiatives rooted in Jerusalem’s social reality.

Through experiential learning, leadership development workshops, and immersive field exposure to the city’s diverse communities, Fellows are strengthening their leadership capacities, expanding their professional networks, and deepening both their understanding of—and commitment to—Jerusalem.

The Journey So Far

• A diverse cohort reflecting Jerusalem’s social mosaic has come together, fostering meaningful dialogue, mutual curiosity, and cross-sector learning. Trust is growing, alongside a shared culture of collaborative leadership.
• Personal and professional networks are taking shape, characterized by authentic engagement and the beginnings of joint initiatives among Fellows.
• Two in-depth community visits—to the secular and ultra-Orthodox sectors—have already taken place, creating powerful emotional experiences and helping bridge gaps in knowledge and perception.
• Fellows demonstrate strong curiosity about one another’s identities and professional worlds and are eagerly anticipating the remaining in-depth visits to the Arab and Modern Orthodox communities.

Leading From the Outset

Already making their mark, Shai Doron Fellows spearheaded major public events across Jerusalem at the end of December, 2025.

• Yafa Busso led TEMECH 2025, a major employment conference for nearly 1,000 Haredi women.
• Yehuda Cohen and Keren Apfelbaum spoke at the President’s Residence, alongside President Isaac Herzog and Rabbi Benny Lau, presenting their vision for the future of Jerusalem at a 10th of Tevet event, a Jewish Fast. This was particularly poignant since the Fast marks the date when ancient Jerusalem commenced its demise.
• Neta Meisels led the “Culture Builds Place” conference at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, in the presence of Jerusalem’s Mayor, Moshe Lion.

*Different communities. One leadership network. Real impact in Jerusalem*

Looking Forward

As the program enters the implementation phase, Fellows are receiving increasingly individualized and close mentoring to support the development of their initiatives.

The group’s rich identity and political diversity requires ongoing care and sensitivity, ensuring the continuation of open, courageous, and respectful dialogue on leadership—while nurturing each Fellow’s growth as a leader in Jerusalem.

Step by step, the Shai Doron Leadership Fellows are putting down roots in Jerusalem’s civil society, building partnerships and forging new connections. As they grow into inspirational role models and dedicated changemakers, they remind us that we must never stop hoping, aspiring, and working toward a stronger, more inclusive future for our city.

הפוסט Where Young Leaders connect: the Shai Doron Leadership Fellows Program הופיע לראשונה ב-.