About
We, Tene Yerushalmi, work to raise a generation of leaders who advocate the values of democracy, Zionism and humanism, guided by a deep connection and responsibly for the city of Jerusalem and the State of Israel.
Jerusalem is at the heart of our work because we understand that the challenges of the city are the same challenges the State of Israel will face in about a decade: social polarization and growing gaps, withdrawal from taking civic actions. The leadership that will create the solutions to Jerusalem’s current challenges will create the solutions to the future socio-economic challenges of the State of Israel.
We began our journey in 2010, when about 100 members of our community in Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood established our first educational program, Mechina HaYerushalmit- a pre-military academic preparatory program (mechina) for leadership and social engagement. Over the years, we have significantly expanded our activities and hundreds of our graduates and community members participate in them. Each year the network grows, together with its influence in Jerusalem and Israel.
The participants in our educational programs develop a sense of social responsibility, a desire for activism and the ability to accomplish it. As graduates, they join a stable and influential community network in the city for an extended period of involvement and they then assist in recruiting additional graduates who join us. This organic growth model is our source of strength.
Our model is best described in a research conducted in 2019 by the Gandir Foundation on Youth Civic Participation. We regard youth involvement as a crucial cornerstone of our work, an essential component to any democratic society and for the wellbeing of its members. Our work defines specific educational responses for each age group, targeting our alumni as well as the general public of youth in Jerusalem. In this way we promote social responsibility as an integral element of their adult life as active and influencing citizens.
Geographic reach and scope of activity
As of 2026, Tene Yerushalmi operates at several sites in Jerusalem, including Kiryat Yovel and French Hill, and runs social and community activities in other neighborhoods across the city, with an emphasis on working with communities and populations facing social and economic challenges.
Each year, around 80 young women and men take part in our direct circle of activity at the pre-military academy (mechina), along with up to around 140 students in the organization’s programs. Alongside them, Tene maintains a network of more than 800 alumni and activists.
The second circle of our impact reaches around 3,000 Jerusalem residents each year, including children with special needs, senior citizens, single mothers and other groups. As part of this work, program participants contribute around 55,000 hours of community action a year.
Tene also works to widen access to its programs for young people from Israel’s social and geographic periphery; around 11% of the academy’s participants come from this background. By combining leadership development with action in Jerusalem’s neighborhoods, the organization’s work affects both its direct participants and thousands of residents in its wider circles of impact.
Community as a way of life – the benefits of community in achieving social and personal goals.
Tora comes From Zion – Jerusalem will emerge from Zion as a beacon for Israeli society.
Education – open to young, broad-minded and active leadership.
Social Involvement – Work in the neighborhoods of the city of Jerusalem as part of the community social fabric.
Vision
Goal
On-Going Educational Programs
Alumni
Our Communities
Vision
Vision
Tene Yerushalmi’s Vision is a democratic, pluralistic and tolerant Israeli society in general, and more specifically in Jerusalem, based on active, involved young citizenship.
Goal
Goal
To assist pluralist secular and “masorti” young citizens to choose a life of active social and civic participation in Jerusalem by holding key leadership positions in public and social sectors of the city.
On-Going Educational Programs
On-Going Educational Programs
The educational model is based on successive programs that are designed to address the unique needs and dilemmas faced at different stages of the participants’ life:
HaMechina HaYerushalmit– a Pre-Military Academy (“mechina”) for Leadership and Society,
BeShutaf–a secular “Beit Midrash” learning center for soldiers
HaZerem–a Jerusalem student network
The programs are based on an extensive community network, combining study sessions, social gatherings and personal mentoring to support individual participants.
This close support network creates a sense of belonging for its members, promotes social activism and assumption of leadership and development roles for the benefit of the city.
Alumni
Alumni
We were founded by 6 young urban communities that came together, chose to live in Kiryat Yovel neighborhood, and established the ‘HaMechina HaYerushalmit’, Tene Yerushalmi’s first educational program. Community longevity is a cornerstone of Tene Yerushalmi’s educational path and it’s reflected in our programs, alumni networks and the professional staff’s approach. Over the years, 3 additional communities have joined us, some of which were established by our alumni.
Our Communities
Our Communities
We were founded by young communities that came together, chose life in Kiryat Yovel, and established the ‘Mechina HaYerushalmit’, Tene Yerushalmi’s first educational program. Community longevity is a cornerstone of the organization’s educational path. It’s reflected in all of our educational programs, alumni networks and teamwork capabilities. Over the years, additional communities have joined us, some of which were established by our alumni themselves
