Who We Are
Founded in 2016, Tzedek Centers operate with an eye towards Israel’s long-term democratic future through a combination of deep, grassroots work and shorter term, high impact initiatives.
As caring and dedicated citizens who aspire to see a better society here, the challenges posed by inequality, social polarization, and a lack of trust in the government impact our future.
At Tzedek Centers, we firmly believe that local civic organizing is the key to addressing and transforming this situation.
At Tzedek Centers, we bring together city residents to participate in training programs for social change. Through these programs, we provide them with tools, connect them with partners, and together build a shared vision. Graduates of the courses establish groups to improve city policies, lead local campaigns and social initiatives, assume leadership positions, and collectively nurture a local community of changemakers, building across cities a broad national movement.
This national grassroots movement, composed of organized communities in cities across Israel, works to build a vibrant democracy we can be proud of.
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Responsibility. Rehabilitaion. Victory »
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What We Do
Leadership
Programs
Activist leadership courses are at the core of our work. Each center conducts several different courses annually, where participants study social issues, learn methods of creating impact and change, and organize for action. Courses discuss various topics, such as public transportation, urban planning, local businesses, education, gender equality, environmental issues and more. Each leadership program ends with a round tables event open to the public, where graduating activists join or form new action groups concerning various social issues, leading real change in people’s lives.
Over 6,000 citizens have graduated from our leadership programs and take part regularly in the Tzedek Centers’ work.
Action Groups
After graduating from our leadership programs, activists move on to form action groups, quickly becoming central agents of change in their community and in the city as a whole. These groups, comprising anywhere between 7-30 activists, take on the dire issues of our society: civil engagement, public education, shared society, gender equality, racism, state and religion, climate crisis, public investment, human rights, labor rights and more. To achieve their goals, action groups meet regularly, talking to experts, drafting solutions, considering means of action, working closely with public and elected officials and forming coalitions with various organizations and movements.
Today, as much as 50 groups work to advocate and promote their causes, bringing impactful achievements to their community.
Community, Culture
and Public Events
In Tzedek Centers, citizens join to celebrate, commemorate and participate in public events, talks and holidays that strengthen the fabric of our community. The diverse groups that make the Israeli society each bring their own voice, composing the shared society we believe in.
During the Covid-19 lockdowns we created mutual aid networks, supplying basic needs and insisting on connection in a time of solitude. These networks reached a total of over 250,000 citizens.
Leadership
Building
True democratic leadership begins from the ground, in local organizing and a high rate of civic engagement in municipal politics. Our training programs and action groups serve as a greenhouse for Israel's next generation of leaders, with many of our members already taking office.
'Local Voice' is a national training program that takes our local work to a new level: training more than 80 candidates running for office in the 2023 municipal elections.
Training Programs »
Activist leadership courses are at the core of our work. Each center conducts several different courses annually, where participants study social issues, learn methods of creating impact and change, and organize for action. Courses discuss various topics, such as public transportation, urban planning, local businesses, education, gender equality, environmental issues and more. Each leadership program ends with a round tables event open to the public, where graduating activists join or form new action groups concerning various social issues, leading real change in people’s lives.
Over 6,000 citizens have graduated from our leadership programs and take part regularly in the Tzedek Centers’ work.
Action Groups »
After graduating from our leadership programs, activists move on to form action groups, quickly becoming central agents of change in their community and in the city as a whole. These groups, comprising anywhere between 7-30 activists, take on the dire issues of our society: civil engagement, public education, shared society, gender equality, racism, state and religion, climate crisis, public investment, human rights, labor rights and more. To achieve their goals, action groups meet regularly, talking to experts, drafting solutions, considering means of action, working closely with public and elected officials and forming coalitions with various organizations and movements.
Today, as much as 50 groups work to advocate and promote their causes, bringing impactful achievements to their community.
Community, Culture and Public Events »
In Tzedek Centers, citizens join to celebrate, commemorate and participate in public events, talks and holidays that strengthen the fabric of our community. The diverse groups that make the Israeli society each bring their own voice, composing the shared society we believe in.
During the Covid-19 lockdowns we created mutual aid networks, supplying basic needs and insisting on connection in a time of solitude. These networks reached a total of over 250,000 citizens.
Leadership Building »
True democratic leadership begins from the ground, in local organizing and a high rate of civic engagement in municipal politics. Our training programs and action groups serve as a greenhouse for Israel's next generation of leaders, with many of our members already taking office.
'Local Voice' is a national training program that takes our local work to a new level: training more than 80 candidates running for office in the 2023 municipal elections.
Our Emergency Response
Since October 7th
Currently in response to the war Tzedek Centers has several ongoing initiatives.
We will get through it Together
One website with everything that matters.
To address such complex needs, we realized the necessity for a platform that concentrates everything important in one place, gathering all the information and civic initiatives. This way, we can utilize them or distribute them to those in need.
We built a website that brings together all initiatives, volunteer work, actions, and civic assistance on all topics.
Help on The Way – Assistance System for Evacuated Families
At the same time as our hosting program "Open Home”, we opened at the Tzedek Centers an aid system for evacuees called “Help on the Way”, which provides a response to the many changing needs of the evacuees after the initial settlement phase. In the "Help on the Way" system, connect families who have already been evacuated with ongoing support for issues such as welfare, family assistance, employment, mental health care, and medical assistance.
Read Help on the Way's emergency file »
Warm Home
We opened a hotline in Russian in conjunction with Open Home, which quickly evolved into providing direct services and assistance to Russian speakers remaining in frontline cities. We organized an incubator supporting and developing volunteer initiatives for russian speakers responding to the emergency crisis.
Read article in 'Haaretz' about the project »
Guardians of Hope: Protecting Arab Jewish Partnerships
Right here, right now. We are the basis for a good life in the face of the violence and racism around us.
We call for the creation of a series of events to promote solidarity and partnership between Arabs and Jews. Only a wide network of organization can deal with the volatile situation we are in.
Responsibility. Rehabilitation. Victory.
There is no victory without rehabilitation. We must rebuild the communities that have been devastated, support the citizens who have suffered the most severe impact, and restore the public systems that need to serve us all in coping with the consequences of these terrible events. We call on the country to acknowledge its responsibility towards its citizens, to act for the rehabilitation of the communities, the victims, and the public systems, thus achieving a true and complete victory for Israel, for the sake of our collective future here. Join us and sign on your support.
Open Home
On October 7th we opened up a form for people looking to evacuate from the frontline regions in the south and for people volunteering to host. This quickly launched into an operation taking over our offices providing people with places to stay and addressing basic needs such as food and clothes.
Support our emergency
work for the long term
In the face of an enduring crisis, we step into the next phase of our emergency efforts, fueled by a deep commitment to provide long term support. We are establishing three new centers in historically vulnerable and frontline cities in the south — Netivot, Ofakim, and Ashkelon — and proactively opening a center in the northern city of Nahariya.
Through these centers, we plan to organize local volunteers, nurture community organizing and leadership, and work closely with local municipal governments and connect with & between other NGOs to address community needs.
Our Team
Department Directors
Idan Varon
Foundational Cities Department Director
Michal Sherez Shilor
Vice President of Field Operations
Sasha Mizheritsky
Russian Speakers Department Director
Maya Andrea Ouzen
Project Manager 'The Incubator'
Samar Shahin
Director of the Arab Society Department
Naella Gelkopf Belais
Director of the Mixed Cities Department
Hadas Sadeh
Director of the Mixed Cities Department
Anat Landsberg
Director of Northern Cities
Tzedek Centers Managers
Smadar Ravraby
Center Manager – Harish
Nurit Ben-David
Center Manager – Rosh Ha'Ain
Dafna Novik
Center Manager – Jerusalem
Shiran Shamam Steinberg
Center Manager – Modiin
Almitu Zagaye
Center Manager – Ashkelon
Ronen Hakmon
Center Manager – Ofakim
Ophir Dekel
Center Manager – Rishon Le'Zion
Tali Novruzov Partzov
Center Manager – Akko
Rasha Ismail
Center Manager – Majd al-Krum
Michal Shahori
Center Manager – Rehovot
Ninet Najmi
Center Manager – Akko
Jada El Yosef
Center Manager – Tamra
Haim Myers
Living with Dignity – Nahariya
Local Voice Program
Naama Moshinsky
Municipal Programs Director
Eyal Cohen
Municipal Programs Director
Creative Team
Eleanor Aharonov
Digital Content Director
Yam Talias
Graphic Designer
Rotem Bar Israel
Content Development & Research Director
Partnerships
Hagar Iron
Partnerships Director
Bar Kolodny
Partnerships Director
Gal Sabo
Partnerships Director
Headquarters
Inbar Neuhaus
Office Manager
Izhar Carmon
Founder & Chairperson
Lev Littman
CEO
Yoni Blesbleg
Campaigns Manager & “Living with Dignity” Project Lead
Gal Holovsky
HR Manager
Anat Sharon
Special Projects Manager
Maya Nuri
Local Infrastructure Development Manager
Michal Sherz Shilur
Vice President of Field Operations
Aya Yedidya
Vice President of Field Operations
Michal Salmon
Partnerships and Finance Manager
Eil Belkman
Communications Manager
Tzachit Beni
Finance Manager
Our Partners
Our first source of support is the public itself. Membership dues and small private donations are part of what makes us the grassroots movement we are. Other sources of support are partnerships with government ministries, civil society organizations, and foundations.
Contact Us
[email protected]
46 Ha'Tahana st. Binyamina 305642, Israel
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