Los Angeles may be home to one of the largest concentrations of Israelis in the United States, but many in this group, known as yordim (Israeli ex-pats) and hybrids (anyone who is a combination of Israeli and American) often find themselves feeling isolated. They long for a stronger organizational link to their Israeli compatriots even as they feel out of sync with the larger Jewish community.

Mainstream American Jewish outlets for networking, like LimmudLA, JconnectLA or JDate, don’t always satisfy the desire for links to the Jewish homeland, so many look for comfort in an Israeli chevre (clique), through Israeli cultural events and by making frequent trips to hangouts like Aroma Bakery and Cafe in Hollywood or Encino.

Enter Dor Chadash, an organization started in New York in 2003 as an effort to marry contemporary Israeli culture with the American Jewish community.