Am Yisrael Foundation

Am Yisrael Foundation
Name	Am Yisrael Foundation
Type	Nonprofit
Founded	2015
Headquarters	Tel Aviv
Area served	Israel, Diaspora
Mission	Jewish continuity, Zionism, cultural engagement

Am Yisrael Foundation is an Israeli nonprofit active in cultural, educational, and communal initiatives that promote Jewish identity, Zionist values, and Diaspora–Israel relations. The organization operates programs linking youth, veterans, artists, and scholars with institutions across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, New York, and Los Angeles, collaborating with museums, universities, and municipal bodies. Its network engages with heritage preservation, social entrepreneurship, and international Jewish organizations.

History

The foundation was established in the mid-2010s amid debates following events such as the 2014 Gaza conflict, the 2015 Israeli legislative elections, and shifts in Diaspora relations involving institutions like World Jewish Congress, Jewish Agency for Israel, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, and Hillel International. Early partnerships involved cultural institutions such as the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and municipal programs in Tel Aviv-Yafo and Jerusalem. Founders and early directors included figures with experience at Jewish National Fund, United Jewish Communities, Birthright Israel, Keren Hayesod, and academic backgrounds at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Bar-Ilan University. The foundation expanded during global conversations around the Iran nuclear deal framework, P5+1 negotiations, and the rise of initiatives linked to Startup Nation cultural diplomacy, forming ties with think tanks like Brookings Institution, AIPAC, Institute for National Security Studies (Israel), and Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Mission and Activities

The foundation articulates a mission centered on promoting Jewish continuity, Zionist education, and civic engagement, aligning with narratives from organizations such as Maccabi World Union, Bnei Akiva, Mercaz Olami, Masorti Movement, and Reform Movement (Israel). Activities include cultural festivals similar to those organized by Israel Festival, outreach models akin to Taglit-Birthright Israel, and exhibitions paralleling projects by Museum of the Jewish People and Beit Hatfutsot. Educational programming draws on curricula associated with Schechter Institute, Hebrew Union College, and Shalem College, and the foundation convenes conferences in venues such as Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and IDC Herzliya.

Organizational Structure

The governance model includes a board of directors and advisory councils featuring professionals from institutions like Banner of Peace, Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, Tel Aviv University School of Communication, and international Jewish federations including Jewish Federations of North America and UJA-Federation of New York. Operational departments mirror those in NGOs such as Magen David Adom and People to People International, with divisions for program development, communications, philanthropy, legal affairs, and regional offices in cities comparable to New York City, Los Angeles, London, and Paris. Staffing and volunteers have included alumni networks linked to Taglit-Birthright Israel, Limmud, Shorashim, and leadership training alliances similar to Momentum and Ruth Dayan Center.

Funding and Partnerships

The foundation secures support from private donors, philanthropic foundations, and institutional partners including foundations with profiles like Sandler Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) and corporate partners akin to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, El Al, and Israel Aerospace Industries for event sponsorship. It partners with municipal authorities such as Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and cultural bodies including Culture and Sport Ministry (Israel), and works collaboratively with academic entities like Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and Open University of Israel. International partnerships have been cultivated with diaspora organizations such as Zionist Organization of America, Jewish Voice for Peace, Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, and philanthropy networks like Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include youth leadership and exchange programs inspired by Taglit-Birthright Israel and Masa Israel Journey, arts fellowships modeled on Jerusalem Artists House residencies, and community resilience workshops similar to those by Israel Trauma Coalition. Cultural initiatives have featured collaborations with performing arts organizations like Batsheva Dance Company, The Israeli Opera, and festivals comparable to Israel Festival and White Night Tel Aviv. Educational research initiatives have engaged scholars from Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan University, Tel Aviv University, and policy fellows from Saban Center for Middle East Policy. Social innovation incubators are structured similarly to The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and Impact Labs, while heritage preservation projects have partnered with institutions like Beit Hatfutsot and Ayalon Institute.

Controversies and Criticism

The foundation has faced criticism paralleling debates surrounding organizations such as Jewish National Fund (JNF), Birthright Israel, and StandWithUs regarding political neutrality, allocation of funding, and engagements with contested sites such as Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and settlements in the West Bank near Hebron and Kedumim. Critics from groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and academics from SOAS University of London and King's College London have raised concerns about programming bias, while supporters cite endorsements from figures associated with Prime Minister of Israel offices, former diplomats from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel), and cultural leaders from Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Debates have echoed controversies around cultural boycotts promoted by movements linked to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and responses from organizations such as Anti-Defamation League.

Impact and Recognition

The foundation's initiatives have been credited with influencing discourse in venues such as Knesset committees, academic symposia at Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University, and international conferences hosted by World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency for Israel. Awards and recognition include acknowledgments from municipal awards similar to Israeli Ministry of Culture and Sport commendations, civic honors from bodies like Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, and collaborative grants from foundations such as Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv). Alumni and partner organizations include networks related to Taglit-Birthright Israel, Masa Israel Journey, Limmud, Jewish Federations of North America, and cultural institutions like Israel Museum and Yad Vashem.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Israel