There are over 15 million Jews around the world. Yallagan is on a mission to bring them together. Through cultural, educational, and social initiatives, Yallagan creates meaningful connections and promotes Jewish heritage and identity. Their efforts aim to strengthen ties within the Jewish diaspora, ensuring a vibrant and cohesive global community.
Listen to our therapy session with Michael Stern and Alan Mekibel as they share the story behind Yallagan and why their mission has never been so needed.
May:
Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Nonprofit Therapy!
Today, we have two very special guests with us—Michael and Alan from Yallagan.
Thank you so much for being here!
Michael:
Thank you for having us!
Alan:
Thank you!
May:
Before we dive in, can you each give a quick intro?
Michael:
Of course. I’m 30 years old.
I studied healthcare management and am now completing further education as a medical assistant.
Alongside this, I co-founded Yallagan with Alan and Lucy—which we’ll talk more about soon!
Alan:
I’m calling from Tel Aviv, but I grew up in Moscow and attended an English-speaking school there.
Over the past ten years, I lived in the US, Spain, and Germany.
Two years ago, I got professionally involved in the Jewish world, though I’ve always been active in Jewish community life.
Coming back to Israel this past April made joining Yallagan a natural next step for me.
May:
Amazing. So how did you all meet?
Michael:
We all met at different Jewish events.
I first met Alan in Rome—we immediately clicked and knew we shared the same passion and values.
I always kept him in mind for a project like this.
Alan:
Yeah, it’s beautiful because we all met through Jewish events—across different countries.
We saw the gaps in our communities and wanted to create something bigger.
May:
That’s actually a great segue into my next question:
Most nonprofits are based in one place. You’re all working across different countries—how did Yallagan even begin?
Michael:
I always dreamed of giving back to the Jewish world.
After COVID, we saw a clear problem:
Jewish events were scattered across WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and closed communities.
If you weren’t already “in the group,” you missed out.
We wanted to centralize everything.
We created Yallagan—a safe, secure platform where organizations post events, and participants can easily discover them after registration and verification.
I knew I needed Alan, so after we met in Paris, I called him and said, “I have something you’re going to love.”
Alan:
It was very natural for me.
Living across Europe, I knew the pain points—missing events, juggling 15 WhatsApp groups, feeling disconnected.
Security was a big reason why information wasn’t shared openly.
In Europe, entering a synagogue often feels like an airport security check.
We wanted to change that—by creating a secure but open platform where Jews could find each other, connect locally and internationally, and support Jewish organizations reaching young adults.
May:
It’s amazing.
You’re solving a real need—helping Jews find each other and events safely, even when traveling abroad.
Michael:
Exactly. And it’s more important than ever now.
May:
What made you personally take action though?
Many people see problems—but few actually create solutions like you did.
Michael:
It was that deep drive to give back.
We knew Jewish people were craving community—especially after COVID.
We couldn’t let disconnection continue.
So we built something centralized, secure, and empowering.
Alan:
For me, it was seeing firsthand how Jewish identity strengthens through community.
There’s power in being able to show up and feel connected wherever you are.
May:
You’re absolutely right.
When I traveled to Denver, I posted a simple message—and suddenly had families offering Shabbat invitations.
There’s a natural Jewish bond, and what you’re doing amplifies it intentionally.
Michael:
Exactly. That’s the goal.
May:
Of course, every beautiful story comes with challenges—especially in nonprofits.
Tell us about some of yours.
Michael:
Oh, a lot!
First, getting officially registered as a nonprofit in Germany was tough.
We had to rewrite documents and adjust our structure.
Then, of course, funding.
Thankfully, we received grants from:
World Jewish Congress
Nevatim (Jewish Agency in Germany)
French Jewish Federation (France)
But we’re always working on applying for more.
And building a secure platform is expensive and time-consuming.
Alan:
Plus, running a startup nonprofit across multiple countries is tricky.
We have to stay focused—support both small and large Jewish communities, all with minimal resources.
Changing user behavior is a major challenge too.
People know WhatsApp isn’t efficient—but they’re used to it.
We’re trying to show there’s a better way.
May:
You’re right—you’re not just building a tool.
You’re changing habits.
Alan:
Exactly. And post-October 7, this mission became even more urgent.
May:
What was the impact of October 7 for Yallagan?
Alan:
It changed everything.
Security became an even higher priority.
More people realized they needed safe spaces to connect.
We saw Jewish communities trying to open their doors wider—especially for those reconnecting to Judaism after years away.
Michael:
And people really started sticking together more.
Speaking out, supporting each other, creating emotional spaces as well as physical ones.
May:
Absolutely. I’m traveling to the U.S. soon too, and I definitely feel that added caution now.
What you’re building goes way beyond events—it’s about Jewish identity, connection, and survival.
Michael:
That’s exactly it.
May:
Where do you see Yallagan in five years?
Michael:
We’re dreaming big.
More grants, bigger engagement, scaling globally—helping Jews connect in every corner of the world.
Alan:
We want to empower all types of Jewish identity—religious, cultural, activist—and give everyone a safe space to belong.
May:
Love it.
And… drumroll… you’re also Vee partners!
What made you join Vee?
Michael:
When we connected on LinkedIn, it was clear:
Vee and Yallagan share the same values—empowering nonprofits, building community.
Your automation tools have helped us focus on what matters most.
We’re so excited for this partnership and everything ahead.
May:
And we’re so proud to support you!
Alan:
Together, we’re stronger.
May:
Alright, before we wrap up—how can people get involved with Yallagan?
Alan:
Super easy:
Go to yallagan.com.
Register (individuals and organizations).
Browse events, find communities, or plan your travels.
DM us on Instagram if you want to volunteer, represent us, or partner.
If you’re an organization, we want to showcase you.
If you’re an individual, we want to help you connect.
And if you’re able to support financially, donations are welcome—we’re scaling carefully and every dollar counts!
May:
And we’ll put all the links in the podcast description.
Plus—you just got a new donor: me. 💜
Michael:
Wow, thank you so much, May!
Alan:
Thank you! It means the world.
May:
Seriously—your mission is priceless, especially right now.
Thank you so much, Michael and Alan, for joining us.
And thank you to all our listeners for tuning into another episode of Nonprofit Therapy.
Until next time!
Michael:
Thank you so much!
Alan:
Thank you!
