TL;DR: Born out of one of the most effective civilian mobilizations of the Iron Swords War, Manoa strengthens ethical, pluralistic civic leadership in Jerusalem across emergency response, culture, education, and public policy.
We connect local changemakers, provide the systems they need to execute and scale, and ensure civic power is visible, accountable, and durable.
I believe civil leadership is crucial in shaping a thriving democracy. I believe in civil action that is not only committed to Tikkun Olam but is also an expression of the self, a creative outlet for ones’ values and character. I know that as Jewish people, we know the power of community to our very core. It is in the legacies we live and the practices we uphold – both personally and professionally.
I am Emuna Klein Barnoy, the CEO of Manoa – Jerusalem Civic Project. I’m honored to join a global network which understands that learning, collaboration, and shared Jewish responsibility are engines of real impact.
I entered civic life by publicly confronting the silencing of SA survivors in my community. That work led to national media campaigns, legal advocacy, and a successful Supreme Court ruling protecting privacy in religious spaces. These experiences taught me how power actually moves…and how values become policy, protection, and lived reality.
I live in Jerusalem. At the heart of my work is a commitment to Jerusalem as a pluralistic city – one where people who love it, live in it, and contribute to it can do so fully and visibly. During my years in senior leadership at the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, I learned a lesson that continues to guide me: coexistence cannot be built by asking communities to retreat. Communities that belong must be able to claim space publicly.
I champion Jerusalem’s liberal communities as a civic force essential to the city’s vitality and future. Through policy engagement, cultural infrastructure, and the cultivation of civic power, I work to ensure pluralism is structurally embedded in how Jerusalem is governed and experienced.
That conviction came into sharp focus after October 7th. Alongside fellow Jerusalem civic leaders, my team founded the Jerusalem Civic Command Center, mobilizing thousands of volunteers and coordinating one of the most effective civilian responses of the Iron Swords war. We saw plainly that Jerusalem has civic power, and with structure that can carry it forward – it is profound and impactful.
That is why we built Manoa.
We connect networks of socialpreneurs, coordinate civil society, and provide the systems that allow local initiatives to execute, scale, and endure. Our work spans emergency response, commemoration, culture, education, and municipal advocacy, rooted in the belief that strong democracies require ethical civic power alongside formal institutions. And now, Manoa is stepping up as the war with Iran has developed. We are once again running the Jerusalem Civic Command Center, supporting Jerusalemites and evacuees through the Lion’s Roar campaign.
In founding Manoa, we leaned heavily on the accumulated wisdom of Jewish philanthropy and communal leadership, for which we are deeply grateful. Joining Global Jewry feels like a natural continuation of that learning journey; an opportunity to contribute to what we are building in Jerusalem and to learn from Jewish leaders around the world.
I would love to talk, brainstorm, learn, and collaborate. You can reach me directly at ceo@manoa.org.il or +972-54-756-6032. I look forward to building together.
Shavua tov and chag kasher v’sameach,
Emuna Klein Barnoy
CEO, Manoa – Jerusalem Civic Project
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