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Jerusalem Community

OUR STORY

Make Jerusalem Feel Like Home

In the heart of South Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood, JLIC Jerusalem is making the big city feel small—creating pockets of deep connection, intentional community, and rooted Jewish life for young Anglos navigating early adulthood in Israel. Jerusalem is holy, historic, and full of life—but it can also be overwhelming, especially for those trying to build a home far from everything familiar.

Founded just a few years ago, JLIC Jerusalem has already become a vibrant and essential part of life for hundreds of olim, students, lone soldiers, and young professionals. Under the leadership of Rabbi Jeremy Tibbetts and Emily Zimmer Tibbetts, the community has grown into something unique: not just a place to show up for Torah, tefillah, or Shabbat—but a place to be seen, known, and cared for.

At our core, we believe that people need more than programming—they need real community. That’s why JLIC JLEM is designed to feel like a network of homes rather than a giant institution. We’ve created meaningful sub-communities—small groups built around shared passions and identities—that feed into the larger JLIC Jerusalem family. Whether it’s a cohort of new olim, a Spanish-speaking Torah circle, a women’s beit midrash, or couples exploring Jewish life together, these circles give people a space to belong within the wider rhythm of the city.

We gather weekly for Shabbat davening and Kiddush in the Baka/Katamon area, filled with singing, warmth, and community-led divrei Torah. Our Shabbat experience is deeply personal—run by and for community members. We also offer Friday night tefillah and happy hour once a month, bi-weekly meal matching, and an open invitation for last-minute hospitality, especially for soldiers and miluimnikim returning from base. No matter your story, if you need a seat at the table, we’ll find one for you.

Throughout the year, we celebrate Chagim as a family—with joyful meals, deep learning, and halachic resources to help you feel prepared and connected. Our learning programming includes a bi-weekly Beit Midrash with community-led chaburot, a weekly Parsha shiur, Thursday night mishmar, and regular chevruta matching that often leads to siyumim and celebrations.

And we’re always evolving. This year, we launched a coworking space initiative—a chance for remote workers and students to share space, share coffee, and deepen community during the week. We’re also fostering emerging leaders by mentoring community members to build niche sub-communities based on shared passions, languages, or life stages—everything from rebuilding a women’s beit midrash, to post-army exploration trips, to programming for couples navigating life in their late 20s.

Because this is what we believe: a strong Jewish community doesn’t just happen—it’s built together, person by person, name by name, table by table.

Whether you’re working remotely or locally, commuting to Tel Aviv, studying at Hebrew University or another Jerusalem institution—or just trying to figure out your next step—you’ll find people here walking a similar path, asking meaningful questions, and building something real.

So whether you’re new to Jerusalem or just looking for something deeper, JLIC Jerusalem is here to make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd. Come for a shiur or a Shabbat. Stay because it feels like home.

JLIC JLEM. A small community in a big city—with room for you.

Looking to Connect?

Meet Rav Jeremy Tibbetts and Emily Zimmer Tibbetts

Originally from the Boston area, Rav Jeremy Tibbetts is the Co-Director of JLIC Jerusalem, as well as the Director of Education for Yavneh, JLIC’s intercampus leadership movement for Orthodox college students. Jeremy studied Public Health at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, received Semicha through Mizrachi’s Musmachim program under the auspices of HaRav Yosef Zvi Rimon, and is currently a candidate for a Masters at Hebrew University in Jewish Thought. He has worked in the past as a camp counselor, Hebrew school teacher, and consultant for a variety of nonprofits. He has published writings in outlets such as Hevria and the...
Meet Rav Jeremy Tibbetts and Emily Zimmer Tibbetts

Originally from the Boston area, Rav Jeremy Tibbetts is the Co-Director of JLIC Jerusalem, as well as the Director of Education for Yavneh, JLIC’s intercampus leadership movement for Orthodox college students. Jeremy studied Public Health at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, received Semicha through Mizrachi’s Musmachim program under the auspices of HaRav Yosef Zvi Rimon, and is currently a candidate for a Masters at Hebrew University in Jewish Thought. He has worked in the past as a camp counselor, Hebrew school teacher, and consultant for a variety of nonprofits. He has published writings in outlets such as Hevria and the Lehrhaus. Jeremy lives with his wife Emily, their sons Yedidyah and Betzalel, and their dog Rosie in Baka, Jerusalem, where he loves to study mysticism, play tennis, and write. He is always in the mood for a seltzer.

Originally from small town Ontario and more recently, Rockland County, NY, Emily Zimmer Tibbetts is the Co-Director of JLIC Jerusalem, as well as a writer, musician, and Torah educator. Since receiving her BA in Psychology and English from Queens College, Emily has served the Jewish community through roles at UJA-Federation of New York and ORA, the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot. Emily is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English literature and non-fiction writing at Bar-Ilan University. She loves coffee, nature walks, niggunim, folktales, and hosting Shabbos meals.

 

Rav Jeremy Tibbetts Emily Zimmer Tibbetts
Your Voices

Community Members Reflect

“I think the JLIC Jerusalem community is the most real and authentic Jewish life experience I have on a day-to-day basis. The community here is something so special — it gives me, and a lot of other people, real chizzuk. I feel like there’s truly a space for me here, and the feeling is so genuine and honest. Everyone in the Jerusalem chapter is a different kind of interesting and engaging person, and I love being part of it.”
Anonymous
"JLIC Jerusalem has contributed a lot to my Aliyah experience! It provides a warm and vibrant community of young English speakers in Baka, a useful stepping stone into this overwhelmingly large city and otherwise Hebrew-speaking area. I also love the Torah environment, offering a beit midrash program and multiple shiurim each week, all within the welcoming English-speaking environment and headed by the incredible JLIC JLEM couple, who have both become big role models of mine. If you’re unsure about making Aliyah and moving to the holiest city in the world, JLIC Jerusalem makes the move a lot easier!"
Moshe Inger
“JLIC has enhanced my Aliyah experience, providing a warm and welcoming sense of community. It’s a place where I’ve made meaningful friendships and connected with a diverse group of people with shared experiences, smoothing the transition and making it more fun!”
Hedva Engle
Latest Updates

From our Blog

Community Learning and Coworking: JLIC JLEM’s Innovative Sunday Morning Seder
A unique initiative is transforming how young Anglo professionals in Jerusalem approach their week. The JLIC JLEM Morning Seder and Coworking Space, the creative vision of community directors Rav Jeremy and Emily Zimmer Tibbetts, offers a refreshing blend of Torah study, productivity, and community connection every Sunday morning. A Space for Connection and Growth The […]
Empowering Young Women in Service: JLIC Sherut’s Innovative Community Support Program
In the heart of Jerusalem, a groundbreaking initiative is taking shape, offering unprecedented support to young English-speaking women dedicating themselves to national service in Israel. The JLIC Sherut program is transforming the experience of Anglo and Lone Sherut Leumi volunteers, providing them with a robust support network that goes far beyond traditional assistance. At its […]
JLIC Israel Desert Shabbaton: A Weekend of Unity and Connection
The desert became a canvas of Jewish unity as 110 students from across Israel’s campuses gathered for an extraordinary JLIC Shabbaton at Merchav Am’s historic “Chan” – an ancient travelers’ inn that transformed into a vibrant hub of connection and learning. The Vision Behind the Gathering Tova Levine, JLIC Co-Director at Technion, shared the inspiration […]