Connecting for Action: Rabbi Joe Wolfson and JLIC Tel Aviv Strengthen Community Resilience in Uncertain Times

JLIC TLV members provide food to Israeli soldiers

“That’s pretty special to have a non-Jewish Druze friend calling his Orthodox rabbi friend in order to make sure that the soldiers under his command get what they need for Shabbat,” said JLIC TLV director Rabbi Joe Wolfson about a phone call he received from a Druze officer in the IDF reserves, who was worried that his Jewish troops wouldn’t be ready for Shabbat.

It is no surprise that Rabbi Joe was his first call. Rabbi Joe and the JLIC TLV participants have been forging relationships throughout Israel through volunteering — efforts that were "turbo-charged” after October 7, 2023.

“We always pride ourselves on being a community which has at its core a real muscle and identity of being there to help people in need, whenever that may be," Rabbi Joe Wolfson shared in a recent eJewishPhilanthropy article. "[I]f you have the muscle during the normal times of community consciousness and a connection to the civic area around you, only then are you really in a position to scale up significantly in the extraordinary times such as we are in now.”

Rabbi Joe’s words capture the spirit of JLIC TLV, which connects Jews from a variety of backgrounds and life stages through weekly shiurim (classes), Shabbat and holiday programs, meal match-ups, and volunteering. Through an innovative WhatsApp system, JLIC TLV mobilizes community members who are ready to respond to emergencies and local needs at a moment’s notice. His dynamic leadership is transforming the Tel Aviv Jewish community and has recently been featured in eJewishPhilanthropy.

JLIC TLV’s efforts exemplify the Mayberg Foundation’s core values: deepening foundational Judaism and harnessing the power of connectedness. In recent years, the Mayberg Foundation has been expanding its focus on Israel—an intentional move that began before the pandemic and has become even more urgent since October 7, as we made emergency grants to address immediate needs. This commitment was reinforced at our board meeting last week, where the Trustees approved a new round of emergency funding for Israelis displaced during the recent Iranian missile attacks, along with grants to organizations providing direct assistance to those who lost their homes and to hospitals that needed to ramp up their support services.

We are inspired by the resilient and connected community Rabbi Joe is building—one that is guided by Jewish values and setting a new standard for communal responsibility and engagement. His leadership, and the work of JLIC Tel Aviv, continues to motivate our foundation’s efforts to stand with Israel and strengthen Jewish life in times of both stability and crisis.

➡️ Read In Tel Aviv, Rabbi Joe Wolfson leads a community of volunteers — ready at a WhatsApp’s notice