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-.

This past year we continued to deal with the challenges of war, the longest Israel has known, yet thankfully the year ends on a hopeful note and the prospect of beginning to heal. Under these conditions, the Jerusalem Foundation has continued its programming, promoting the goals and values which are at its core and responding to changing needs on the ground and urgent needs. We celebrate this year as one in which we’ve raised more funds than ever before, which have gone toward programs and projects spanning creative culture, shared society, trauma recovery, community cohesion and resilience and leadership development, as well as creating open spaces for Jerusalem’s residents and building centers that provide for the city’s communities, across all religions, cultures, backgrounds and neighborhoods that make up Jerusalem.

We are proud to share the numbers behind our 2025 activities and an overall view of our impact this year.

הפוסט Jerusalem Foundation Achievements 2025 הופיע לראשונה ב-.

The prize recognizes exceptional young people from Jerusalem’s youth movements who demonstrate a remarkable commitment to their neighborhoods. These young leaders give their time and creativity to communal projects that bring children and families together and build a more resilient city. The prize provides them with the financial ability to expand their volunteer initiatives so they can reach more people and multiply their impact. Each project reflects an understanding of what communities need today and a desire to create real opportunity for those who live in them. These youth are not waiting for adulthood to lead; they are shaping the city now.

This year’s recipients represent the diversity and energy of Jerusalem’s youth landscape. The Oz tribe of the Scouts Movement in the Gilo neighborhood created an accessible summer camp that provided new experiences for local children and strengthened bonds across the community. The music education initiative of the Tarbut Movement in the Katamonim neighborhood offered children the chance to learn and grow through music with the guidance of dedicated teen mentors. The girls branch of the Ariel Youth Movement in the Ramot and Homat Shmuel neighborhoods built meaningful intergenerational connections through volunteer programs with seniors, creating a sense of belonging for both teens and older adults.

Together, these young leaders are shaping a brighter future for Jerusalem and showing how meaningful change begins with empathy, creativity, and the leadership of youth.

הפוסט Celebrating Young Leaders: The Julia Koschitzky Youth Leadership Prize for Good Citizenship הופיע לראשונה ב-.

Our Jewish-Arab female basketball and leadership programs advance equality and tolerance while challenging stereotypes. They introduce girls to the joys of the sport, specifically expanding access to basketball for Arab girls, where the opportunity is often less available.

The all-women Hapoel Lev basketball organization – which focuses on dismantling barriers and fostering a welcoming and empowering environment for girls and women in the world of basketball – runs these programs.

Her Court, Her Future

Girls ages 10-12 from Jewish and Arab elementary schools in the city play basketball together and become “champions for peace” – to advance coexistence in their communities and beyond. They develop basketball skills, boost their physical and mental self-esteem, engage in regular exercise, meet for joint ‘tolerance learning’, and gain the chance to succeed. Sessions alternate between the school campuses (in East and West Jerusalem) and at a mid-way community sports center in Jerusalem.

Game-Changers: Young Female Leaders 

Jerusalemite girls aged 18-20 – who have played high-level basketball for years and are interested in leadership roles in basketball – receive superb sporting and leadership training. They develop skills in strategic planning and create a leadership identity, deepening their motivation and that of younger girls in basketball. Likewise, they gain a “gender lens” to confront challenges facing women athletes and build a vision to lead change in professional basketball.

These girls are dribbling, passing and scoring – all the way to their future.

With more support, we can connect girls from both sides of the city, build mutual trust, and cultivate young female leadership — through sports, our shared language.

הפוסט GIRLPOWER WITH A BALL – BASKETBALL IN JERUSALEM הופיע לראשונה ב-.

The profound mental health impact of the October 7th atrocities and the subsequent long war has created an urgent and far-reaching crisis across Israel. With estimates suggesting that over 500,000 people may face psychological issues, predominantly PTSD, the need for comprehensive trauma treatment and resilience-building has never been more critical. The Jerusalem Foundation swiftly rose to this challenge, establishing a variety of innovative programs designed to support the diverse communities of Jerusalem.

A pioneering step in this effort is the Resilience Center of Jerusalem, a partnership with Shaare Zedek Medical Center. This center offers a crucial lifeline for individuals with severe PTSD who have not responded to conventional therapies. It utilizes Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), an innovative approach where ketamine acts as an aid within a comprehensive, psychiatrist-led psychotherapeutic framework. Uniquely located within the community rather than on the hospital campus, this intentional choice helps to reduce stigma and alleviate the anxiety associated with seeking mental health treatment.

Beyond clinical intervention, the Resilience Farm at Yaelim—the Ein Yael Nature Therapy Center—offers powerful nature-based healing. Originally serving marginalized youth, Ya’elim rapidly expanded its model post-October 7th, hosting nearly 3,000 participants for healing events and officially opening the Resilience Farm in March 2024. Recognized by the Ministry of Defense, it now offers structured therapy to restore stability. Crucially, its programs include “Shavim” (Returning Home) for high-risk veterans overlooked by official systems and dedicated support groups for spouses and parents and children healing together. The Farm also incorporates therapeutic horseback riding and animal-assisted nature therapy, offering emotional recovery through connection.

The power of community and movement is harnessed in a dedicated Soccer (Football) program for veterans and trauma survivors, a collaboration between Hapoel Jerusalem and Beit HaLochem (Veteran’s Center). This initiative provides a healthy outlet and a safe, empowering space for recovery, offering weekly training, official uniforms, and community engagement opportunities. Finally, the Psik Theater is leveraging the power of drama to help veterans and survivors, utilizing performance not only to raise awareness and reduce stigma but also to encourage diagnosis and foster a resilience and rehabilitation center.

We have learned over the last 2 years that recovery is a holistic journey—bridging clinical innovation, nature, sport, and the arts.  Unfortunately, there are more and more people in need of this support, and the urgency of treatment is only increasing.   We continue to expand capacity in all of the programs described to reach as many people as we can.

הפוסט Boosting Resilience: Addressing Israel’s Trauma Crisis הופיע לראשונה ב-.

Along Jerusalem’s “Seam Line” – where East and West meet and Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities live side by side – everyday life is marked by tension, fear, and fragile coexistence. The Jerusalem Intercultural Center (JICC) is working to transform this reality through the Partnership for Seam Line Community Resilience project, an ambitious three-year initiative aimed at strengthening trust, improving personal safety and building resilience across divided neighborhoods.

The project brings together diverse partners from community councils and residents to law enforcement and municipal officials to co-create lasting systems of safety and dialogue. Each year, four community centers from ultra-Orthodox, Arab and mixed populations will develop joint initiatives that help residents respond to conflict calmly and cooperatively. Over time, 16 centers and hundreds of local leaders will become a web of resilience spanning Jerusalem’s most sensitive borders.

The project’s origins lie in the upheaval following the 2023 Judicial Overhaul protests and the violent aftermath of October 7th, which reignited deep mistrust between Jewish and Arab Jerusalem communities. JICC’s earlier pilot program, launched with support from the Savran Family and the Russell Berrie Foundations, trained neighborhood watch teams to reduce friction and foster cooperation. The results were immediate: communities that once viewed one another with suspicion began to share emergency communication systems and problem-solve together.

Now, with co-directors Mukarram Hadieh, an Arab project manager from Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem, and Tami Lavie, JICC’s Director of Community Partnerships, the initiative is scaling up. Mukarram explains:

“For years, safety here has meant police, fences, or cameras. But what people really need is to feel seen and understood by their neighbors. When we listen to each other’s fears, we discover how similar they are and that’s where resilience begins.”

In the first year, centers in Beit Hanina, Kufr Aqeb, Ramat Shlomo and French Hill are crafting twelve initiatives that focus on cooperation between residents, police and city officials. These efforts range from joint safety patrols and emergency training to cultural exchange events and youth-led dialogue groups.

By the project’s end, more than 1,000 direct participants and 300,000 Jerusalem residents are expected to feel a measurable improvement in safety and connection. In a city often seen as a barometer for Israel’s social stability, the Partnership for Seam Line Community Resilience project represents something rare: hope built not on politics, but on partnership.

“Partnership for Seam Line Community Resilience” reminds Jerusalem and the world that resilience begins when neighbors work together to keep one another safe.

הפוסט Seam Line Community Resilience Partnerships הופיע לראשונה ב-.

This month, Anination celebrated its ninth edition, a meaningful milestone that reflects both the festival’s endurance and its cultural importance in the city. In the shadow of the war and the events following October 7, the festival carried added significance, becoming a symbol of resilience and hope. Supported by the Jerusalem Foundation and a wide network of cultural partners, the festival embodied the creative spirit that continues to move Jerusalem forward.

The ninth edition highlighted the extraordinary emotional and artistic reach of animation. Films sparked laughter and tears, opened unexpected paths of thought and revealed the special ability of animation to immerse viewers in imaginative and thought-provoking worlds. These experiences unfolded before a diverse and multi-generational audience that gathered to explore culture through one of the most expressive forms of storytelling.

This year’s program showcased a remarkable range of international and Israeli works, including films recognized at Cannes, Annecy and Sundance, alongside new Israeli productions that push the boundaries of creative expression. It also featured outstanding works from Japan, the United States, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia and many other countries, reflecting the global richness of contemporary animation. Visitors engaged with video art, virtual reality experiences, gaming installations, creator talks and masterclasses that offered a deeper look into the craft behind the screen.

More than a film festival, the ninth edition of Anination stands as a testament to Jerusalem’s enduring creativity, a city that continues to dream, to imagine and to bring people together through culture and community.

הפוסט Anination 2025: When Animation Comes to Life in Jerusalem הופיע לראשונה ב-.