Los Angeles is home to the largest Israeli-born population of Jews in the world outside of Israel. The estimated 250,000 Israeli Americans who reside throughout the greater Los Angeles area each day contribute greatly to the economic, academic, cultural, and spiritual life of Southern California and the entire country.
Since first immigrating to Southern California in the early 1970’s, Israeli Americans have become a vital component of the fabric of the American melting pot and, in particular, the greater Los Angeles community. Individual members of the Israeli American community have been and continue to be significant social activists and philanthropists supporting important charitable causes here and in Israel.
The establishment of the Israeli Leadership Council (ILC) in June 2007, has allowed for the first time an organized and synergetic formation of an Israeli American community in Los Angeles through community empowerment, philanthropy, and activism. The vision of the founders designed to further vital goals that serve the common good of Los Angeles, other major metropolitan cities in which Israeli Americans live, the United States, and the State of Israel.
ILC – HOW WE DO IT
ILC’s effectiveness and success is the direct result of its ability to organize, activate, and facilitate the Israeli-American community. ILC is not a direct provider of services to non profit organizations. Rather, ILC empowers Israeli-Americans of all ages to support and work on behalf of select organizations, programs, projects, and initiatives that further ILC’s mission and the goals of the Israeli-American community.
ILC dedicates and focuses its resources towards transforming Israeli-Americans into an empowered and organized community by:
1. Bringing individuals together around the causes – predominantly Israel-related – about which Israeli-Americans are most passionate
2. Providing individuals personal fulfillment through connection with their own community via cultural initiatives and programs targeting the younger generation
3. Encouraging a culture of giving and community involvement through community engagement and philanthropy
4. Converting communal indifference into activism through participation in and sponsorship of public events that impact issues related to Israel-American relations.
5. Building a communal structure and spirit through providing professional and financial support to nonprofit organizations and initiatives
6. Creating new community-based organizations and programs that will ensure a continuous and long term community involvement through the support of educational, cultural, and leadership initiatives
7. Bridging the Israeli-American and Jewish-American communities through the creation of alliances and partnerships that support inter-community activities and initiatives.
8. Enlightening and mobilizing the community to respond to strategic causes that support Israel-US related initiatives and Zionist education for the second and third generation of Israeli-Americans.