What new projects do you have in mind?I think it would be a bit superfluous of me at this time – I’ve been in the position less than a week – and I think it would be condescending and arrogant, and I try not to be an arrogant person and say, ‘You know, this is a good project, this is not so good,’ you know – to start. I’m not sure that would be good. But the coexistence part, like the Intercultural Center on Mount Zion, the Hasadna project [children from privileged and challenged backgrounds who play music together] they were in London just now and appeared in three concerts, and the BBC taped a live performance – the BBC! It’s quite interesting that they would do that. It’s good not just for the Hasadna or the JF, it’s actually good for the State of Israel, of which we are all proud.The scholarships we give, or think of the cultural events – you can barely find one single cultural event in Jerusalem that is not supported by the JF. The intense involvement of the JF is everywhere. It’s not a problem, it’s a challenge. Is it easy? Well, you know, if somebody could tell me what in life was easy, I’d take that job tomorrow. But I don’t think that job exists. (A) it would be boring, (B) it’s nonexistent, and (C) the contribution of anything that’s easy is really not something that could engender any type of creative movement.Since you assumed the position, have you walked around Jerusalem and thought, ‘Oh, that could be a nice thing to do here or there…'?Yes, I absolutely begin to think that way, and it’s a change in my thinking. As a human being, as a citizen, as a resident here, certainly in this new position. So the answer is yes. But I think that it’s very easy to come up with things that need to be done. You can come up with 50 ideas a day, but it has to be done realistically, professionally, with the mind on what we can really do in conjunction with other institutions here or other bodies – the municipality, the needs of the population. So one shouldn’t shoot from the hip.How do you see the cooperation with the municipality while preserving the JF’s independence?I’m not worried at all because all the projects are for the good of the city.
But what happens if the mayor sees things differently, has another order of priorities, for example?So we discuss it. We discuss these ideas on a professional level. We’re doing that almost on a daily basis, looking at the projects, examining what can fit into his agenda, which ones fit into our agenda. The agendas are not identical because it’s clear we’re not the same organization. I think everybody understands that – the professional staff too, not just the mayor. We work closely with the cultural staff. Things are going just as they should.Do you feel that you and the mayor could be partners?Yes, absolutely. There’s no reason why the good of the city would make it different.But things haven’t always been so simple, as you must be well aware.You don’t have to remind me, but I say there’s absolutely no reason for it. It happened in the past, but that’s not the situation today. Just look around at any street in Jerusalem and you will see the fingerprint of the JF. Just open any newspaper and look at what’s on this weekend and next week, and you’ll see the JF logo on cultural events taking place. What can be better? I’m not trying to do an advertisement here, it’s a fact of life.How do you sell Jerusalem to the JF donors abroad?Through projects. Everybody wants Jerusalem to be a thriving city, everybody! Nobody wants Jerusalem to be a city of conflict. When you approach a potential donor with a project and you add the name Jerusalem, it works. Not only among Jewish communities. In Europe, much of the support to the JF comes from non-Jews.In Europe?In Europe, yes. I’m not saying the majority, I’m saying much. It’s the brand JF and it’s the brand Jerusalem. It is indeed surprising, but yes.
And what about local donors, from Israel?It’s growing. The culture of philanthropy among Israelis is growing very slowly, we recognize that.Are you planning to develop it? Absolutely. Very much. This is one of my top priorities. Israel today is a member of the OECD; it’s not a developing country anymore. In European terms it’s way above average, and there is no reason at all to go to wealthy communities in Europe while the wealthy community in Israel feels that this is not their concern. It is a new culture here because, let’s face it, 30 or 40 years ago Israel was a developing country. But that’s no longer the case, so the Israel-based philanthropy is going to be a major thrust.