What We Do
Since 2014, over 250,000 Russian-speaking immigrants have come to Israel seeking democracy. Yet many don’t vote or take part in the public struggle for it.
Israel Shelanu is a nonprofit organization founded in 2023. It connects immigrants from different waves of aliyah and native-born Israelis in the struggle for democracy, the rule of law, equality, and freedom in Israel.
We organize trainings and tours for opinion leaders and build an activist community through mentorship, civic initiatives, and identity workshops. For the wider public, we hold lectures and learning events with experts and share accessible information through our social media platforms.
Since our founding, more than 3,000 people have already joined our programs, trainings, and civic initiatives.
60%
report gaining a deeper understanding of democracy and Israeli society
45%
say their trust in democratic institutions and in political solutions to conflict has increased
40%
express a stronger intention to remain in Israel and participate in elections
Our Projects
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Lectures & Webinars
Holding 30+ events a year in Russian and English on democracy, society, and politics with leading speakers — attended by 600+ people, both online and offline.
Civic Engagement
Launched 5 petitions on urgent social and political issues, gathering 2,000+ signatures.
Educational Tours
10+ tours a year, focusing on East Jerusalem and its challenges, Shared Society and the Region’s Future.
Training Programs
Organizing training on Israeli democracy and society and on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in cooperation with leading Israeli civil society organizations. 80+ participants completed our trainings
Fostering public discourse
Supporting studies on immigration waves and encouraging dialogue in civil society.
News Channel “In Brief”
Daily updates in Russian for 9,500+ subscribers. More than 50% of our audience says the channel has improved their understanding of what is happening in Israel. In partnership with a Hebrew-language channel “המבזק החברתי”.
Media Activism
Producing Russian-language videos with Hebrew subtitles and translated content from leading Israeli voices, making democratic debates accessible across communities.
Who We are: Our Story
Israel Shelanu was born out of social activism and cooperation, uniting diverse voices in Israel.
Our values — Freedom, Equity, Diversity, Community, Responsibility, Transparency, Empowerment.
We first came together during the 2011 tent protests, raising our voices about the housing struggles of the 1990s immigrants.
From there, we founded Generation 1.5, the first NGO to bring the Russian-speaking story into Israeli public life. We challenged stereotypes, gave young immigrants a voice, and added the history of Soviet Jewry to Israel’s collective memory. We also established Russian-speaking departments in national NGOs such as Israel Hofsheet and the Women’s Lobby. We have built a network of professionals and partners — including experts from the former Soviet Union who work in Russian, the 1.5 generation of immigrants who work in Hebrew, and native-born Israelis — all working toward a more inclusive society.
In 2023, during the protests against the judicial overhaul, a new wave of immigrants — many who arrived after Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea — joined our efforts. We became a registered NGO and began connecting dozens of organizations with Russian-speaking communities across Israel.
Today, our team includes strategists, researchers, advocates, and activists from both Hebrew- and Russian-speaking Israel, representing both older and newer waves of immigration. Together, we make sure Russian-speaking olim are part of Israel’s democratic future.
For us, this is both a correction of the past — addressing the unmet needs of the 1990s immigrants — and an investment in the future.
With your support, olim and sabras work side by side, building trust, impact, and hope for generations to come.
*Information about our NGO on the Ministry of Justice website
Board
Brit Yakobi
Social activist and co-founder of “The Faithful Left”, a movement of religious and traditional Jews promoting equality, justice, and peace. She has founded and led several civil society and cultural initiatives, directed democracy and gender grants at the New Israel Fund, and after October 7th coordinated the Fund’s humanitarian aid and efforts for the return of hostages.
Lev Berman
Expert in social and educational innovations. Head of the Center for Educational Initiatives, developing new approaches to learning and programs for intercultural dialogue. Harvard Public Diplomacy graduate student. He actively supports new immigrants in their adaptation and integration into Israeli society. He has lived in Israel since 1990.
Yael Patir
Director and advisor with over 20 years of experience in public policy, international relations, and strategic communication. She advised the EU Delegation to Israel (2024), served as Chief of Staff and Diplomatic Advisor to Minister Esawi Frej (2021–2022), led J Street Israel (2012–2020), and headed the Department for Civil Leadership at the Shimon Peres Center for Peace and Innovation (2006–2012).
Rivi Beller
Co-founder and CEO of VeHadarta, a nonprofit that works to support older adults in Israel’s workforce, currently leading projects like SKEELZ, an AI-based matching platform between elderly job-seekers and employers.
Tomer Persico
Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, a Rubinstein Fellow at Reichman University and a a Senior Research Scholar at the UC Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies. His fields of expertise include contemporary spirituality, Jewish modern identity, Jewish renewal, and forms of secularization and religiosity in Israel
Nika Kostenko
Nica Kostenko is a social scientist, PhD in Sociology, a research fellow at Tel Aviv University, and an expert in migration and gender studies. She is the co-founder of Outrush.io, a large research project studying people who left Russia after 2022.
She made aliyah from St. Petersburg in 2022.
Eran Ben-Yemini
CEO of Life and Environment, the umbrella organization of Israel’s environmental NGOs, which brings together more than 150 groups promoting sustainable development, environmental education, and social justice. In the past, Eran founded the Green Course student organization and the Green Movement Party.
Team
Vicky Idzinsky
Bella Leyn
Vsevolod Bederson
Alina Muzychenko
Lana Aizenshtadt
Evgeniia Danilova
Team
Vicky Idzinsky
Founder & Director
Bella Leyn
Art direction and Designer
Vsevolod Bederson
Community Engagement & Events Manager
Alina Muzychenko
Creative producer and Social Media Manager
Lana Aizenshtadt
Community manager
Evgeniia Danilova
Content producer and Writer
Building Community
We bring people together to connect, speak up, and act. Our community has launched petitions signed by thousands, produced grassroots media in Russian and Hebrew, and built projects that give voice to Russian-speaking Israelis. With us, people don’t just join in — they lead.
Want to reach the newest wave of immigrants or book a lecture on engaging Russian-speaking communities?
Please contact us by email: office@israel-shelanu.org.
INSTEAD OF HIERARCHY — PARTNERSHIP
INSTEAD OF SILENCE — DIALOGUE
Support us
This year is crucial for Israeli democracy. Help us bring the new liberal aliya into the game — become active, become visible. Donate today.
