Tel Aviv is the center of the Jewish world. Certainly Jerusalem is our eternal capital both spiritually and politically, but one quarter of global Jewry lives in Tel Aviv's metropolitan area making it the most Jewish place on Earth.
Jay Shultz, Am Yisrael Foundation -- For the past 100 years, the “White City” has been home to the most significant vibrant innovative centers of Israeli culture, business, fashion, art, finance, high-tech, film, television, and the army. Tel Aviv is currently is one of the youngest cities in the world per-capita with over 40% of the populace being between 20-40 years old. Today the majority of new immigrants to Israel choose Tel Aviv as their home. A city full of bustling boulevards, cafes, startups, baby strollers, construction cranes, venture capital, art galleries, and over 500 synagogues; has surpassed even the dreams of Theodor Herzl, approaching the visions of our ancient prophets.
“For all of Israel’s triumphs over the past 75 years, we are still in the pioneering phase of the country. What an honor it is to be a young Jew here now, being able to invest creativity, imagination, and energy towards building the next 1000 years of the Jewish People. Nowhere else on the planet can a young Jew be as relevant and central to our nation’s collective destiny than Tel Aviv”, says President of the Am Yisrael Foundation, Jay Shultz.
Jay moved from New York to Tel Aviv in 2006 and has been championing the banner of the city ever since, with Israeli media understandably dubbing him “The Other Mayor of Tel Aviv”. Recognizing the potential to use Tel Aviv as a positive fundamental force for the benefit of young Jews worldwide, Jay founded the Am Yisrael Foundation over a decade ago, building the nonprofit into what is now the largest young adult Jewish community organization in the world with a following of over 100,000. The Am Yisrael Foundation (AmYisrael.com) has become a large umbrella organization for tens of innovative initiatives that empower young Jews to pioneer Israeli society.