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Immigrants seeking to impact Israeli society get new backing

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Olim striving to improve Israeli society and especially their own communities can get support from the Initiative for Zionist Innovation.

By Jack Gold, World Israel News

Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN), an organization promoting and facilitating Aliyah (immigration to Israel) has launched the 2019 Initiative for Zionist Innovation, which aims to support olim (new immigrants) committed to strengthening and improving their communities.

The Initiative “is all about community – how to improve and enhance your opportunity to integrate and strengthen your neighborhood,” NBN states on its site.

“With mentorship from community builders, networking assistance, seed funding and logistical support, we believe that olim will have better acclimation rates,” NBN adds.

The 2019 NBN Initiative for Zionist Leadership is focused on one topic – community and connection building, which includes projects dedicated to creating and facilitating community, connectedness and communication by and for olim; initiatives committed to encouraging community growth and development; and to activities and programs that benefit new immigrants.

Successful candidates are eligible for a financial grant to assist in actualizing their projects.

“This year’s Initiative for Zionist Innovation is focused on empowering olim to effect change within their own communities through olim getting involved and creating positive changes on their immediate surroundings.” Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh, told Israel National News.

“The Steinmetz Herskovitz Family Fund believes in the potential of olim to improve the communities they live in, because they have already done so in their previous Jewish communities”, said Marty Herskovitz, an oleh and philanthropist, INN reported. “We are certain that by providing them, in conjunction with Nefesh B’Nefesh, with seed money, organizational skills and a support network, they will build vibrant, supportive and intellectually stimulating communities that will serve as a model for cities across Israel.”

NBN is responsible for facilitating the aliyah of more than 57,000 Jews from North America and the United Kingdom since 2002.