Chaired by Israeli singer Shlomo Artzi, Tzimaon is an Israeli non-profit seeking to create opportunity for marginalized facets of Israeli society. Based on the fundamental premise that Israel’s youth embodies the promise for an enlightened, equal, and just future, Tzimaon sets out to improve and better the lives of children in underserved communities by investing in educational programming and infrastructure and by cultivating the next generation of leadership. Tzimaon’s core mission is carried out by the following projects which are tailored to meet the specific needs of the communities: (1) Mechinat Erez Or Yehuda a pre-IDF Preparatory Academy – a seven-month leadership program for youth from Israel’s social periphery. (2) Tzimaon for a Hug – we adopt local day care centers in South Tel Aviv neighborhoods serving children of asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan. (3) Mechinat Atid a 14-month professional cooking trade school, which provides top of the line training, as well as courses in leadership and self-promotion. The mechina is run by Chef Itai Farkas, in partnership with Kitchen Studio, a revolutionary social-programming organization created by renowned British Chef Jamie Oliver, which trains refugees and asylum seekers around the world in the professional cooking trade. (4) Scholarship Program – we offer scholarships to recovered addicts with leadership potential to pursue a higher education and reinvest in their respective communities.