Dharamshala was a critical turning point.

After building an institution in India and providing Jewish experiences for Shabbat and the holidays for over 2,000 Israeli post-army tourists something “clicked” for Mor Shimonie.

“I understood that what I wanted to do with my life was create community because community serves as the bedrock for so much good in the world – for identity, meaning and connectedness. And the specific communities that

I want to build are Jewish communities.”

Mor passionately believes communities are the platform for creating bottom-up change, greater accountability and Jewish cultural renewal in the State of Israel.

An entrepreneur by nature, Mor returned to Israel and founded a Jewish-Israeli community in the heart of Tel Aviv. Her rooftop apartment in the Carmel market often serves as a physical place where young Israelis can come together, to create, to learn and to explore Jewish-Israeli culture and living. A shared space which serves as a window, allowing light to illuminate aspects of their Jewish identities that they knew were theirs but didn’t really know.

“The community we are creating together is a pulsating creative space for young people living in the city who are seeking an Israeli Judaism that is alive, authentic and renewing.”

The majority of their members are young people from secular homes. The community also exists as a powerful draw for people who grew up in religious homes but no longer see themselves as part of that religious community. Kehilat Bina provides these significant and growing populations in the State of Israel a compelling Jewish space to find authentic Jewish language and meaning that is their own.

“The community we are creating together is a pulsating creative space for young people living in the city who are seeking an Israeli Judaism that is alive, authentic and renewing. What we are building serves as an example for what is possible in Jewish communal life, both in Israel and elsewhere.”