Jay M. Shultz is a self-proclaimed “Struggling Philanthropist”. Which is the most profound fact Iv’e read about him. His one real struggle being to help more people. The struggle is real because you can never really help everybody, can you? This is what is most important to him.
Jay moved up to Israel in 2006 from New York City and currently resides in Tel Aviv. When he arrived he was suprised to find the city lacking English speaking professional community groups.
So he set one up. Then another and another and another.
Shultz knew the value of these young professional communities being from the working world of New York city. “When I moved here there was a vacuum in young international life. People need to plug in. My first job was to coalesce what didn’t exist. I needed to build a community.” This is where the seven non-profit organizations all catering to the international community in Tel Aviv were born. And Jay Shultz heads them all.
There’s TLV Internationals, “the” list-serve for whats happening in Tel Aviv for young English speaking professionals; Tel Aviv Arts Council offering monthly events celebrating Israeli creative culture; and Tel Aviv International Salon an English-language lecture series be Israeli leaders and decision makers.
How?
On average Jay sleeps four hours a night.
The good looking transplanted single American admits when he first got to Tel Aviv he partied hard. He doesn’t party like that anymore.
Now his time is split between meetings, phone calls and conferences. Shultz speaks very little Hebrew, nevertheless he has transformed the landscape of Tel Aviv for English speakers
As far as him being a struggling philanthropist he says, “you can be a philanthropist without being a millionaire. Creativity and energy are far more important than money”.
Not to suggest he is living on a shoestring. He is partner in a U.S medical software firm. And works in commercial real estate development in the Galilee.
Why does Jay do this? Where does his passion come from?
He is a fervent Zionist.
Jay moved to Israel because of his increasing displeasure in the state of Jewish life in the Diaspora. Although he says he likes who he is and admits you don’t have to become 100% Israeli, he is happy to know his children will be 100% Israeli. He admits the need for young Western Olims in Israel. even though, he admits, “Israeli’s are amazing the warmest people in the world.”
Shultz is also known as the second mayor of Tel Aviv.
City hall took a strong interest in what Jay was doing going so far as to add links to his events on their official English municipality website. “The mayor and his office have been phenomenal”, says Shultz. “They are very helpful and very open and support everything I’m doing. We have many unofficial partnerships.”
Shultz has always been a leader. Soon after graduating from Rutgers University with a B.A in art history he went on to Fordham University School of Law, graduating as President of the Student Body
“Tel Aviv represents the most desirable place in Israel for most young jews. who want to move here. and for that we need community.”
Jay Shultz is creating one.
For all of his accomplishments:
Founding multiple non-profit organizations in both the US & Israel that champion “Observant Zionism”
Graduating from Rutgers University with a B.A. in art history.
Then archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Interning for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Israeli Antiquities Authority, and Albright Institute of Archaeology, including a summer volunteering on Tel Nof Airforce Base with the IDF.
Upon graduation, entering Fordham University School of Law, graduating as the President of the Student Body.