$230,000 Pledged Towards Social Innovation in Israel’s Capital

Concerned over what experts are forecasting as a decline in Jerusalem's socio-economic status, the Leichtag Family Foundation announced this week a new partnership with PresenTense Israel aimed at increasing social entrepreneurship and innovation in Israel's largest city. The Foundation has pledged $230,000 over two years for this new initiative which will focus on under-served communities in the city that have not previously benefited from significant investment. 

"We believe that the great challenges presented in Jerusalem provide us with an opportunity to innovate and propose new grassroots initiatives spearheaded by local activists," said Charlene Seidle, Executive Director of the Leichtag Foundation.  "By encouraging young social entrepreneurs and providing them with the tools that they need to succeed, we have already begun to see real improvements in Jerusalem that will hopefully serve as a model for Israel as a whole."

The Ilan Institute, founded by PresenTense Jerusalem fellow Ari Eitan is a successful result of this partnership.  Through an after-school framework, ultra-Orthodox youth will study the core curriculum subjects that are lacking in their schools, increasing their pass rate for the national matriculation exams and integrating and contributing more fully to Israel society.  A local college has already taken interest in incorporating Eitan's program into its regular course offerings.

Aladin Jabar of the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Gosh is making similar changes in the school that he heads in eastern Jerusalem.  The Renaissance School, established four years ago, teaches the Israeli curriculum, rather than the standard Palestinian or Jordanian curriculum, opening up opportunities for Arab Jerusalemites who want to study at Israeli universities and find jobs in the general workforce. As with Eitan's project, Jabar's school is making lasting inroads that will positively affect Israeli society for years to come.

"When we announced the expansion of our Jerusalem Fellowship program with an emphasis on the Haredi and Arab communities, we followed through on a commitment to fostering innovation in all areas of Israeli society," said Nurit Tsur, CEO of PresenTense Israel.  "It’s quite inspiring to see the changes that our fellows have already effected in their communities."

Since 2007, PresenTense has helped 296 social entrepreneurs, including over 60 Jerusalemites, launch or grow ventures to impact their local communities. In 2012, PresenTense Israel made a concerted effort to reach out to under-served sectors of Jerusalem.

By providing training and support to Jerusalem-based social entrepreneurs we empower them to transform the city into a thriving hub for innovation and creativity," added Brachie Sprung, Associate Director of Business Development at PresenTense Israel. Through their partnership, PresenTense and the Leichtag Foundation are sowing the seeds for solutions to many of the challenges within Israeli society.