The Jerusalem Foundation

Jerusalem is a city that is revered and cherished around the world and is also the heart and soul of the Jewish people - the eternal capital.  The Jerusalem Foundation, understanding the universality of Jerusalem and its importance as the focal point for Jews worldwide for over 3000 years, is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that Jerusalem will become a modern open vibrant city while at the same time preserving the history of the city.

All citizens of Jerusalem on a daily basis reap the rewards from the efforts of the Jerusalem Foundation.

Jerusalem would be unrecognizable without the Jerusalem Foundation; without its community centers, sports complexes, parks, children’s playgrounds, libraries, theaters, museums, without its arts schools and central science labs, with fewer daycares and homes for the elderly, with poorer school facilities and less educational innovation. The landscape of Jerusalem is enriched by Foundation-led projects such as the Biblical Zoo and the Cinematheque.

For over 40 years, the Jerusalem Foundation has pioneered much of the archaeological discovery and preservation projects including the City of David excavations, the major gates of the Old City Walls, the Tower of David Museum and much more.

Someone, somewhere, benefits from a Jerusalem Foundation project every minute of every day and every night.  The Foundation’s work touches every population – Jewish, Muslim and Christian – of every social group of every age, in every neighborhood of the city.

Founded 40 years ago by the legendary Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, the Jerusalem Foundation has an unmatched track record in creating and nurturing philanthropy projects in Israel. Today, the Foundation is led by Ruth Cheshin .   

Our Vision

The Jerusalem Foundation supports the growth of a vibrant, modern, flourishing city, rich with culture, economic vitality and strong and caring communities for all its residents.

Jerusalem should be a city that unites all people, regardless of background, and serves as a bridge to create goodwill and tolerance for people of all faiths. Jerusalem reflects the hope and meaning of Jewish existence and continuity. 

Our Mission

With universal and Jewish values as the source of its inspiration, the Jerusalem Foundation seeks to create a just society for all citizens of Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Foundation works toward creating an open, equitable and modern society by responding to the needs of residents and trying to improve their quality of life. The Jerusalem Foundation will continue to pioneer change while at the same supporting efforts to preserve the history of the city.  

In particular, the Jerusalem Foundation has developed an agenda around three areas: 
· Community Empowerment and Economic Independence
· Coexistence – Living Together
· Cultural Life and Creativity

Our Values

The Jerusalem Foundation is the only organization in Jerusalem that understands all aspects of the city, has strong and lasting relationships with all authorities and organizations that play a role in Jerusalem, and has a record of 40 years of successful partnerships with Jerusalem communities and friends abroad.

• The Jerusalem Foundation is an impartial broker among various government departments, non-governmental agencies, charitable organizations, and local community volunteers, building consensus, collaboration and partnerships that improve life Jerusalem. 
• The Jerusalem Foundation provides full accountability and open reporting to its donors by maintaining ongoing contact with and supervision of all its projects in Jerusalem.
• The Jerusalem Foundation provides all services in-house through its overseas department, projects department, accounting and technical departments, legal department and more.
• The Foundation holds regular meetings and seminars with policy makers, experts and academics on the challenges facing Jerusalem to consistently reassess projects and issues in need of attention.
• The Jerusalem Foundation's "designated donation" method, which pairs potential donors with projects in areas of their interest, encourages the donor's ongoing personal involvement with the project and the community.
• The Foundation builds a partnership between the donor and Jerusalem residents and creates a long-term relationship that can often last for generations.
• The Foundation works closely with supporters of Jerusalem throughout the world and in this context has desks in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and other countries.