BUILDING NEW COMMUNITIES

WhO ArE WE AND WhAT WE BELIEvE IN?

NEW SPIRIT

In 2003, a group of idealistic students founded New Spirit (Ruach Hadasha) with one dream:

to ensure Jerusalem’s rightful place as a young, vibrant, pluralistic and attractive city as befits the capital of Israel, the spiritual hub of the Jewish people. Through the development of initiatives relating to employment, culture, housing and community building, New Spirit seeks to strengthen the ties that bind the young adult population to the city of Jerusalem.

OUr GOALS1. Reducing the negative migration of

young people (age 23-35) from 6 focus neighborhoods in the periphery of Jerusalem.

2. Improving the image and atmosphere of Jerusalem as an open, cultural and creative city in the eyes of the young-adults.

3. Significantly influencing the munici-pal and national agendas in fields that interface between young- adults and the city of Jerusalem.

Data:

Today, our programs and services reach over 15,000 young-adults per year

1,000 New Spirit program partici-pants per year – in variety of more than 60 communities of young adults that are leading a social change in the city

100,000 residents of Jerusalem neighborhoods affected by New Spirit programs

OUr vISIONNew Spirit envisions Jerusalem as the country’s leading social and cultural center, founded on Jewish-Israeli values and discourse held in the spirit of the Zionist vision.

FACTS ABOUT JErUSALEM YOU DIDN’T KNOW

In 2013, more than 3,000 young-adults left Jerusalem.

Only 21.7% of Jerusalem’s population has a higher education as compared to 37% in Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem is Israel’s poorest city.

PIONEErING YOUNGCOMMUNITIES

How we AcHieve cHAnge:

In 2010, thirteen students in their mid-twenties established the Katzir Community. Meeting for a group dinner once a week, the community members discuss various topics including Zionism, Democracy and Judaism.

Once a month they celebrate a unique Shabbat together complete with dinner and self-led services. Every summer, Katzir leads a local educational project teaching local teenagers how to set-up small neighborhood businesses.

ThE ChALLENGE:Jerusalem’s peripheral neighborhoods suffer from low communal cohesion and a low quality of life, and thereby are unattractive to young adults.

OUr SOLUTION:New Spirit helps to establish and sup-port “Young Communities” which serve as leaders in their neighborhoods. They work to improve local education and culture through projects spearheaded by the community members in conjunction with local residents. The presence and work of the young communities helps stop the negative migration out of the six focus neighborhoods in which we work.

Data:

As of 2013: 30 young communities are up and running, 500 community members operate 30 local projects and impact 100,000 neighborhood residents.

5 years from now: 60 young com-munities, 1,000 community members

Each year, the community members volunteer approximately 80,000 hours in the various neighborhoods

PrOMOTINGAFFOrDABLE hOUSING

The Pinco and Dinur families are part of the Costa Rica apartment purchase group community.

The forty young families who moved into the Kiryat-Menachem neighborhood, as a community, brought about an enormous change in the area’s resources and energy.

How we AcHieve cHAnge:

ThE ChALLENGE:Young families struggle to find a way to afford living in Jerusa-lem. Lack of affordable housing is the number one reason for them leaving the city.

OUr SOLUTION:Young families come together to buy a group of apartments, at a discount, in weak neighborhoods. The community of young families not only is able to purchase an apartment at a more af-fordable price, but also strengthens the neighborhoods from within.

Data:

Between 2008-2011 rental apartment prices have gone up by 29%.

95 families purchased apartments thanks to these acquisition programs.

FOSTErING A CrEATIvE CLASS: ENLIGhTENING ThE CITY

The Toolbox Community is a group of young artists from different disciplines, which meets every week to gain professional tools and help each other create in Jerusalem, and for Jerusalem.

How we AcHieve cHAnge:

ThE ChALLENGE:Jerusalem suffers from a negative image - a poor, dirty and difficult city with religious fanaticism without culture. This perception exists and is strengthened because of the city’s struggling creative class: the artists and entrepreneurs who study in Jerusalem leave.

OUr SOLUTION:New Spirit establishes professional communities for young members of the creative class based on different fields – the arts, design, government, hi-tech, etc. Bolstering the presence of these communities sets-up a reality in which the creative class will stay and work in Jerusalem in greater numbers, and contribute to its growth and dynamism.

Data:

Between 2009-2012, the number of cultur-al and artistic events in Jerusalem tripled.

50% of Israel’s art student study in Jerusalem.

New Spirit has established and provided guidance for over 15 groups of over 100 artists and designers in Jerusalem.

OPENING ThE DOOrTO EMPLOYMENT

Yoel Goldstein found a job through his bio-med internship placement. Today, he is an active part of one of New Spirit's professional communities, which meets once a month to strengthen the presence of the young professional population in the city. His community is specifically composed of young adults who work in the bio-med and hi-tech industries.

How we AcHieve cHAnge:

ThE ChALLENGE:Young people require the financial means to remain in Jerusalem. 35% of the stu-dents who chose to leave Jerusalem upon completion of their studies left because of a lack of employment opportunities.

OUr SOLUTION:Providing internship opportunities for university graduates in over 250 orga-nizations and businesses in the city, as well as by providing opportunities for professional development.

Data:

In 2005: one internship track. 12 participants.

Today: ten tracks. 250 interns per year. An alumni community of 3,500 graduates.

64% of the graduates of the program found employment in Jerusalem and continued to reside here after complet-ing their degrees.

DEvELOPING CONTEMPOrArY JEWISh IDENTITY IN JErUSALEM: A LEGACY FOr ALL

Through programs and social action, encouraging a creative class of young people to make the multifaceted city of Jerusalem their home and inspiration for the future.

How we AcHieve cHAnge:

ThE ChALLENGE:Jerusalem is becoming increasingly radicalized religiously, discouraging many who seek to find their place within the Jewish nation.

OUr SOLUTION:New Spirit attempts to create a pluralistic environment in Jerusalem by offering opportunities for young activists, particularly those who are secular, to connect to their Jewish legacy through group text-learning, building Jewish student communities and holding joint holiday celebrations.

OUr DEEPEST APPrECIATION TO ALL OFOUr PArTNErS ThrOUGhOUT ThE WOrLD:

ELISHEVA MAZYA, CEO elisheva@new-spirit.org.ilLEELACH AVIDOV, Research Development leelach@new-spirit.org.il

+972-77-321-5076 | www.new-spirit.org.il

Young Leadership for Jerusalem

www.new-spirit.org.il