To mark Yom Yerushalayim / Jerusalem Day, President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Sunday 9 May / 27 Iyyar, visited Ruach Hadasha’s cultural hub in the city. In the old Shaare Zedek Hospital building, Ruach Hadasha / New Spirit was established by students and business people from Jerusalem to strengthen the city and to enrich its culture, economy and society and to promote young people in the city in various fields.
The president met CEO Yossi Klar and four young people who work in the hub: Shai Shalom Hadad, VP Operations of MassChallenge Israel; Na’ama Lahav, an illustrator and writer; Ella Haetzni, a member of the management board of Stay in JLM; and Lior Linar, a television and cinema creative. He heard about each one’s project and their connection to Ruach Hadasha.
“I chose to work at Beit Ruach Hadasha because of the incredible range of creative people who complement each other,” Lior, married with six children and newly-religious, told the president. “I already knew Jerusalem as a religious person, but by connecting to Beit Ruach Hadasha, I am finding wonderful depths to other parts of Israeli society that are an inspiration for creativity,” he added.
The president heard about the activities of the organization and the personal creativity of all those present, touring the old building. The president said to the young people, “as a veteran Jerusalemite, it is exciting to see young Jerusalemites from all the tribes taking Jerusalem forward – through innovation and initiative, through art that connects to the streets of Jerusalem. The extraordinary diversity is what turns Jerusalem into Israel’s capital and its heart, a microcosm of all Israel. We must ensure that Jerusalem continues to fly the flag of diversity, because this is its unique character. We are confident you will do so. Thank you for the spirit you bring to this city, which is so dear to me, and so dear to us all.”
CEO of Ruach Hadasha / New Spirit Yossi Klar: “There is no city with Jerusalem’s diversity, a city that is loved so intensely. Ruach Hadasha is proud to be a platform for unique encounters and activities that combine creativity, culture and community for young people from all groups in Jerusalem. It is exciting to host the president, who has flown the flag of diversity as a key value, here in the flagship center of Ruach Hadasha which we opened just a few months ago, as corona was at its height, and to speak with him about our shared love, the city of Jerusalem.”
