Sof Shnat!

Shnat 2009 ended on Tuesday morning, after a great sikkum (concluding) seminar. The first shnatties have already started returning back to Australia or New Zealand, but most still have a few good weeks of travel around Europe/India/Thailand ahead...
Its been a great year, and best of luck to everyone!! We hope to see you all soon!!

Approaching the End..

Shnat 2009 is in its last week, with a whirlwind of different activities taking place in this past month. Since returning from Yam L'Yam tiyul there has been 5 straight weeks of Kaveret scheduling, with a range of different messimot (volunteering) and peilut (activities) taking place.
The range of volunteer placements expanded on Wednesdays to include food packaging, old-age homes, and special needs schools. This is addition to the Sunday and Tuesdays spent in a range of educational frameworks in over 15 locations across the north of Israel. The shnatties also had a number of seminars. The first was Socioeconomics in Israel, which featured a walking day tour in Tel Aviv across a number of different neighbourhoods -from the unrecognized Argazim in the south, to the overflowing refugees in Neve Sha'anan, to the bourgeoisie north of Kikar Hamedina - the shnatties got a first hand feel of the extreme differences in just one city in Israel, where the gap between rich and poor is one of the highest in the Western world; together with a number of sessions in order to understand the wider picture and Socioeconomics as a whole.
The next seminar was Rabin Seminar which involved all the shnatties from around the world - over 200 in total! The seminar started with a special tour of the "remembrance tent" set up in Carmiel where the shnatties learnt about Rabin's life and some of the dilemma's he faced. The actual seminar included more learning about Rabin's legacy and also looking at issues in Zionism and Democracy today. It was a fitting seminar to take place towards the end of the year, as it both challenged previously held opinions, and yet also allowed for reflection of the past year in a dynamic and interesting way. A highlight was the meeting between shnatties from all around the world, especially for those who took part in the Hebrew speaking discussion group. Unfortunately the rain persisted and the annual commemoration Rally was postponed for a week. This took place last night, with almost all the shnatties electing to attend on their last free weekend.





There was also an AZYC sikkum (concluding) seminar with participants from the youth movements and other Israel programs in attendance. This provided the shnatties with a good opportunity to see their friends and catch up before leaving Israel.
Last week the shnatties had a day excursion up to Tel Hai and Kiryat Shmona, where the story of Trumpeldor was intertwined with the topics of Zionism, Defence and the Second Lebanon War; proving to bring up some challenging and fascinating questions. Tomorrow the shnatties have another day excursion to Ein Harod, near Afula to hear about the chalutzim (pioneers) and the historical ideological divide in the Kibbutz movement. They finish up their volunteering this week and have cleaning and packing before spending next Sunday - Tuesday on the sikkum seminar (final concluding seminar) which will take place at Kibbutz Shfayim.

Tiyul Yam L'Yam

Hi all! The chaggim (holiday) season in Israel has finally come to an end and life is returning to a somewhat normal routine. During chol Hamoed Succot, the shnatties participated in our annual Yam L’Yam tiyul (sea to sea hike)!

They started tiyul early last Tuesday in Achziv, with a short tekes (ceremony) of filling a water bottle from the Meditteranean, which symbolised the journey we were about the set off on, together with all the other Habonim Dror participants from around the world - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, North America and Holland. Altogether, there were approximately 140 people participating in this years’ tiyul.



On Tuesday we hiked part of the Cziv trail, which is near Montfort and Goren Park. The hike ended with a very short but very steep incline which was certainly to be remembered! The shnatties returned to Goren just in time for sunset and to set up the campsite. Unfortunately the weather proved less than friendly and some intermittent showers meant a challenging night! The whole group were real troopers, not minding a bit of rain and mud in the slightest! And thankfully it didn’t rain throughout the night, and everyone got a good night’s sleep.
On Wednesday we got up at the refreshing hour of 5.45am (!), packed up camp and set off with a short bus ride to Elkosh bridge, and walked along Niria river bed, to Hirbet Homema (near the base of Mt Meron) and then proceeded to climb up to the top of the Meron. Mt Meron is the 2nd highest mountain in Israel, and has stunning views of the entire region. That night we camped at Nachal Amud, which is situated on the Cross Israel Trail, a very busy hiking track which goes from the north of the country, all the way to the south.



On Thursday the shnatties started back at the top of Mt Meron and descended the mountain they had climbed the previous day, and then continued on the Upper Nachal Amud trail, through the Schia pools (small pools of water along the track) and then continued all the way to Tsfat, which once again had a very steep incline (anyone familiar with Tsfat will know that it is in a very mountainous area!). A short bus ride took the shnatties back to the Camping Ground. Upon arrival back, the shnatties were met with the famous sight of the spinning roasting chickens, which provided a sumptuous feast for dinner (With vegetarian options of veggie skewers and delicious burgul salad with freshly picked figs and pomegranates provided of course!)

On Friday, we got up again at 5.45am, in order to pack up the campsite, and after a short bus ride near to Kibbutz Hukuk, we started the final leg of the hike, primarily through banana fields, and all the way to the beach at Kibbutz Ginosar. Everyone rejoiced in some swimming time and the chance to have a shower finally! We finished with a short tekes, involving the bottle of water which we had filled up and carried from the Meditteranean to the Kinneret, and the distribution of Yam L Yam shirts!!
A great time was had by all, and some shnatties made great friends with various other Habonim Dror participants from around the world. The next worldwide Habonim Dror event, the Rabin Memorial Seminar weekend, will be next weekend, at the end of October.

Shana Tova !

Hi all,
Things on Kaveret have been progressing along at a lighting pace as both groups start to get used to a routine of lots of traveling, planning peulot (activities), discussing, cleaning and cooking! The chaggim provide a bit of a break to the routine, for both good and bad, but most of the shnatties have utilised the chofesh (break) days as a time to see family or friends around the country, and relax.
This week is a short week due to Yom Kippur, with Tuesday a messima day, and on Wednesday and Thursday the shnatties have a seminar in their houses. Next week during Chol Hamoed Succot, we depart of the famous Yam L'Yam tiyul where we will hike most of the way from Nahariya to Tiberias, together with the Northern hemisphere shnatties.
On another note, Israel switched to winter time this morning, and all clocks went back an hour so be sure to check the time difference when you want to call.
Wishing you all a gmar hatima tova and a meaningful fast.

September!

As you all know, the shnatties returned from Poland early on Friday morning. Overall it was a very special, meaningful and unique journey.
The first day was spent in Cracow, walking around the old Jewish quarter - Kazimisch - exploring the syngagogues and Jewish culture that existed for hundreds of years. After some free time at the central Sukinize square, we walked to the Wawel castle and heard stories of rich Polish history from the past few hundred years.



The second day we traveled to Auschwitz and Birkenau, which was a long and intense day. At the close of the day, the first tekes (ceremony) of many that were planned by some of the shnatties was held. It included many personal testimonies and was a very inspiring and fitting way to end a difficult day.



The third day was spent mainly in Cracow, in the Jewish ghetto area and a hospital were Jewish fighters had hidden and got caught. We also went to Schindlers factory which is about to open as a museum for the first time.
In the morning of the forth day, we walked around what used to be Nazi headquarters in Lublin, and focused on some of the different groups involved in the Nazi party and Hitler’s regime. In the afternoon we went to the concentration and death camp, Majdanek, situated only a few kilometers from downtown Lublin.
The fifth day was spent in the city of Lodz, whose ghetto has a very different story when compared with others across Europe. We visited a few sites and the Umshlagplatz (deportation square). That afternoon, back in Warsaw, we went to the Gensia cemetery and “met” a few of the characters, further deepening our exploration of the rich Jewish life that once existed in Poland.


The Braitberg twins giving testimony outside their grandmother's house in Lodz

The sixth day we visited what once was the shtetl of Tykochin, where Jews had lived peacefully for many hundreds of years before traveling to Lopochowa, the site of their eventual demise. The afternoon we were in another death camp, Treblinka.



The last day in Poland was spent in Warsaw, where it unfortunately rained very heavily all morning. We walked a bit around the old ghetto area and visited the site of a “chava” (literally – farm, but equivalent to “Shnat”) and Dzielna, the site of the Dror commune in the ghetto. The afternoon was spent walking through the path of remembrance and heroism, learning and discussing the uprisings and other various acts that took place in the ghetto. We finished with a final tekes at the Rapaport monument.


The shnatties at Dzielna - the site of the Dror commune

We left Warsaw very late on Thursday night arriving in Israel early Friday. The shnatties had time to rest and relax through to Sunday evening.

The final stretch of Shnat has started, with the Kaveret portion. The shnatties are now based in their 2 towns, and this week are undergoing a general orientation seminar looking at topics such as the Israeli School System, Responsibility of a Youth Movement in Society, Informal Education Codes, as well as thinking about how to consciously create their environment and relationships with each other. As you can imagine, living in a communal house has its challenges, and the shnatties are also spending some time decorating and thinking about routines they want to implement. Another focus of the seminar is splitting into their smaller messima tzvatim (the smaller groups that work in different schools around the north together). More details on these will be given next week.

Post-Poland

After a long and intense week, the shnatties returned back to Israel safely early this morning. A thorough update will be posted next week! Shabbat Shalom !

pre-Poland

This week the shnatties began settling into their homes for the next 3 months, in both Acco and Carmiel. They arrived on Sunday afternoon around 4-5pm and by 7pm there were many eager chefs already in the kitchen chopping vegetables and boiling water (no small feat when you are cooking pasta for 20+ people!).
On Monday and Tuesday the shnatties had their final Poland preparation seminar, which was held at the Lochamei Hagetaot (ghetto fighters) Museum which is conveniently just north of Acco. The Kibbutz of the same name was established by many youth movement members who after making aliya post-Shoah have dedicated their lives to Shoah research and rememberance. You might remember that on Yom Hashoa the group went to the closing ceremony which was held at the museum.
Some of the exhibits explored were - Janusz Korchak, Resistance, Righteous Gentiles, Warsaw, and Ghetto & Deportations. A highlight of the seminar was the testimony/meeting with Chavka Folman -Raban a member of "Dror" in Warsaw who acted as a courier until she was caught and sent to Auschwitz.



This past 2 days, Wednesday and Thursday have been an opportunity for the shnatties to relax, finish unpacking and settling into their houses, do some washing, explore their towns and even visit family or friends.
While in Poland there is no phone or email access for anyone, however if you need to contact us urgently, please be in touch with Gabe or Jo. You can also fax us at the hotels, just be sure to write "attention:Habonim Dror Group"

Leaving the south

Tomorrow the shnatties will be departing from Hatzerim, after 6 lovely weeks down south. Hatzerim has been very accommodating, and the majority of the shnatties had an opportunity to meet and experience a real and functioning kibbutz! A lot of the group also utilised the hebrew ulpan (lessons), and the increased interactions with Israelis, to work on improving their language skills!
During this period, the whole group also split into 2 locations for Kaveret - Acco and Carmiel, and there was also a continuation of the Poland preparations.
This week the shnatties will be focusing on unpacking and setting up their new homes for the next 3 months; and will be spending 2 days at Lochamei Hagetaot (ghetto fighters) Museum, juts north of Acco, continuing the Poland process preparations.
Late Thursday night/Friday morning the group departs for Poland.
We will send another update out beforehand!

Yom Habonim Dror

Last Thursday July 16, Yom Habonim 2009 took place on Kibbutz Sdot Yam beach. Participating were over 650 chanichim on long or short term Habonim Dror programs in Israel from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, France, Holland, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey, Uruguay, USA and the UK, together with bogrei tnua (movement graduates) who have made aliya. This was the largest Yom Habonim Dror in memory, and will prove a highlight of the year for our shnatties.

Hatzerim!!

On Sunday the shnatties arrived at Kibbutz Hatzerim, where they are living for the next 6 weeks. They are doing an ulpan, which involves hebrew study 3 mornings a week, and working on the kibbutz for another 3 days. Its on a rotation, so half the group has hebrew classes, while the other half works. The next day they swap, and so it keeps going..
The shnatties live in 2 buildings right next to each other, with 3 of 4 in each room together with a bathroom, some furniture and most importantly - air conditioning!! The shnatties have their own moadon (clubroom) with a TV/DVD, 2 computers and a kitchenette with a fridge which is permanently stocked with yoghurt, fruits and vegetables!
The work places vary, with a majority being outdoors in the Jojoba fields, or the gardens.

Seminars!

The two week hectic seminar period started last Sunday as everyone returned from Chofesh! The shnatties started on Gibush - loosely translated as bonding/group building - and spent 4 days at the Lavi Forest JNF campground. There was a lot of emphasis on tsofiyut "scouting" with the shnatties building chairs out of gum trees, ropes and hessian/jute material, together with plenty of fun and games and an opportunity to be Habonim Dror shnat altogether. The shnatties also heard a bit more about Kibbutz Hatzerim and what awaits for them there..






hard to imagine, but these make very comfy forest chairs!


After gibush, the shnatties participated in what is undoubtedly a highlight of every shnat year - the History of Habonim Dror Seminar. This seminar gives the shnatties an opportunity to meet past bogrim from the movement who have made aliya, and to hear their stories of what the movement was like, and in what ways it has shaped their decisions and life choices. The seminar goes in a somewhat chronological order, starting with older chaverim and very established kibbutzim, to younger and more dynamic directions. Many movement members are not aware of the invaluable contribution Habonim Dror had in building Kibbutzim in Israel. This seminar allows each shnattie to evaluate and challenge the direction they think Habonim Dror should be moving in. Some of the places/people visited: the Kinneret Courtyard and Cemetary, Kibbutz Degania, the Habonim Dror archives at Kibbutz Kfar Blum, Kibbutz Mevo Hama, Kibbutz Eshbal, Kibbutz Kadarim, Kibbutz Ravid, Kibbutz Yizrael and Garinim Rovetz and Ogen in Hadera.

The shnatties are now spending this week in Arad on a few more seminars, acclimatising to the desert heat in Israeli summer!

machon final update

Dear Parents,

Shalom for one last time from Jerusalem where the 120th English speaking Machon has just ended. It has been a pretty packed final month since I last wrote to you all with lots of highlights. As I mentioned at the end of the last letter, we went off on a really enjoyable 5 day tiyul (trip) to the North of the country including being in Acco, Tzfat, the Golan Heights and at the Kinneret graveyard which has a strong connection to the origins of Zionism. Some high points included a session on the origins of Kabbala in Tzfat, kayaking down the Jordan river and a hard 4-5 hike up Mount Merom.

On our return there were just two more, more or less normal, weeks of 'ordinary classes' to finish off the learning process that had been going on in all of the different subject areas. Towards the end of the week we got back from tiyul was Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) and we got them all tickets to an all night/morning student event in town with over 10,000 students, a really laid back atmosphere and some great bands and singers (such as Yehudit Ravitz, Idan Raichel and Macie Gary among others). As a result of the all-nighter we gave them a sleep-in and late start for the next day which included an optional Jerusalem Day programme involving them joining a city-wide walk around Jerusalem run by the council and coordinated by the Machon moetza (representative committee).

The next week there was a very thought provoking trip out to Hebron to meet people from both sides of the political divide, a visit which really stirred up debate amongst the group. Hebron can be a very polarising place and issue in terms of people's very different visions of what Israeli society is about but that exploration of, and exposure to, ideas different from one's own is what we think the Machon is all about. Towards the end of that week it was Shavuot. Traditionally, as well as being a time to eat lots of cheesecake, this festival is one where many people attend all night study events known as a 'Tikun Leil Shavuot' to commemorate the fact that Shavuot is traditionally about the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. We wanted to run such a Tikun Leil for Machon but we also wanted to give them the opportunity to go away to families for the chag and also to go to some of the many public Tikun Leils being organised around Israel. Therefore we organised our own Tikun Leil event the night before Shavuot rather on the chag itself. We started at midnight straight after the final of Champions League football match that many of them wanted to watch and we went through until 5.00 am with sessions on a whole range of interesting topics including women in Judaism, the world of Haredi Jews and Kabbala. We finished with breakfast and then they were free for Shavuot itself.

The penultimate week on Machon is 'peer led week' and the Machonikim themselves plan and run most of the classes. Unlike the peer led activities on the rest of Machon, where they basically run informal style peulot of the sort that they are used to from their youth movements, in this week they are expected to plan and deliver a content based session from one of their regular classes. For example, for each class, two of them ran their Jewish History or Zionism class by giving some kind of a lecture or content input. Also in this week, each course held its own 'sikum' (conclusion) session to bring the course to a close and to review everything that has been covered.

Two other special events in that week were a huge simulation game called 'The Duma' which simulates the Russian Jewish parliament in 1905 and which explored in a very creative and fun format the different, competing options open to Jews at that point from Ultra Orthodoxy, to Zionism to Communism to moving to America and looked at how the same questions that underpin those choices over a century ago are still relevant for us as Jews today. There was also a mifgash (meeting) with the same group of young Israeli trainee pilots who they met on their AZYC seminar just after they arrived in Israel and who are now also just finishing their course.
Over 75% of them have dropped out since the Machonikim first met them, having failed to make the grade, but those who are still there, often viewed as the cream of Israeli society, came to Machon to participate in a programme exploring some of the differences between Israeli and Diaspora Jews, including how they differently view such topics as compulsory army service, Aliya and criticising Israel.

Also in this penultimate week we finished the community involvement/volunteering aspect of Machon by holding a presentations evening where each of the small groups, using photos and video clips taken during the projects, showed the others what they had been doing. It was really great to see how much the Machonikim had got out of being involved in Israeli society and helping others, even for this relatively short period of time, whether that was in Teaching English to disadvantaged kids, helping out in a centre for disabled adults, helping the community to build a community garden in a difficult neighbourhood, running a campaign to highlight the problems of sex slavery in Israel or involvement in a variety of tzedaka projects including picking fruit and helping an organisation that collects second had clothes and furniture for the poor. On the Friday morning at the very end of that week one other of these groups completed their own campaign by going out into the centre of town to run a successful awareness-raising and petition-signing morning related to the issue of the status of refugees in Israel.

There were also two final optional Sunday selections in this last few weeks; an amazing interactive presentation of 'the whole of Jewish History in just one hour' by David Solomon to which over half of the group came and a final session with a well known Israeli photographer Adi Nes talking about his work and how it is influenced by different aspects of Israeli society and his being Jewish.

In the very final week we started with a 2 day tiyul, again going up North. We visited a number of modern 'pioneering' projects to look at the meaning of contemporary Zionism, we hiked in the Gilboa, did a raft building activity and finished off with a kef (fun) afternoon at Gan Sachna. The final last night show and prom-night 80's themed party, organised and run by them, which included a meal out at a local restaurant, some excellent presentations via video clips, awards and speeches and a final party at a local club. That took us to the closing tekes (ceremony) this morning.

In closure, we hope that you have appreciated these update letters and that your children have enjoyed their Machon experience educationally, socially, spiritually and in terms of their personal development as much as we've enjoyed working with them.

All the best,

Iris & the Machon tzevet

boneh final update

Shalom parents!

After returning from Jerusalem seminar, we got back into Boneh routine with a week on the history of youth and youth movements. This week looks at what is the specific significance of the period of youth, what different kinds of meaning and activity can be central to this period, and how youth have created youth movements as a forum for empowerment. We then looked at the origin of the Habonim movement specifically. We wrapped up the module with a visit to the Illegal Immigrant Detention Camp in Atlit, where we heard a few of the amazing stories about how Habonim, Dror and other youth movement members from Israel, Europe and North America ran a dangerous and illegal international endeavor that brought tens of thousands of homeless Holocaust survivors to the land of Israel.



The following week was the final module, which dealt with the Jewish communities of Australia and New Zealand. We examined them first through a humorous look at some of the lesser-known facts about these communities, then through a look at the origins and the history, an examination of the present, and finally a discussion of the possibilities for the future and the place of Habonim Dror in shaping that. To wrap it up the Shnatties built board games that convey the Australian and Kiwi Jewish experience in a fun way:



That week they also enjoyed a tiyul with their madrichim to “White Cliff” hill, a beautiful hiking trail literally across the street from Ein Gev:



The past week was the Boneh ending seminar. During this week we took a look back at the material we have dealt with in the last four months, and asked the question of how it connects to going forward to messimot in Kaveret and to leading the movement back in New Zealand and Australia. The Shnatties also enjoyed a Hebrew treasure hunt around the kibbutz by Nira, their wonderful Hebrew teacher; some communal ice cream on a hot ein gev day; a last conversation with Muki Tzur, and a nighttime bonfire and kumsitz on the beach. And to wrap it all up, they planned and ran a final tekes (ceremony) saying goodbye to the kibbutz and Boneh with speeches and presentations in Hebrew and English:






We wish all the Shnatties a great time and a meaningful experience in chofesh, kibbutz and kaveret!

Ruth, Fabian, Gil and Nadav

short wrap up

Hi all,
The year is flying by with both the Boneh and Machon components finishing up last week. In the next few days, separate updates on both programs will be posted here.
A few things I wanted to highlight. The first is the annual Masa Mega-Event, held in Tel Aviv. This year it was a special concert highlighting volunteering in Israel and the 100 years anniversary of the 1st Hebrew city, Tel Aviv! Even the Prime Minister, Bibi, came to speak. Our shnatties were lucky enough to play a part in the show, by performing a flag parade in front of the crowd of thousands, making us all very proud. The show ended with a concert by famous singer Mosh Ben-Ari.



Then, on the first weekend of June, the Machoniks all came up to Kibbutz Ein Gev to spend the weekend with the Bonehnikim, and a short seminar was run by the madrichim. Short peulot (programs) were also planned by a few different participants of each program. This gave the entire group an opportunity to meet up and have some informal fun in anticipation of their reunification.
At the moment all the shnatties are on chofesh (break) until next Sunday 21st June. They will then participate in 2 weeks of various seminars (based in Lavi forest, Kibbutz Ein Dor and Arad) before arriving at Kibbutz Hatzerim on Sunday July 5th where they will stay until mid-August.

Boneh Update - May #2

Shalom parents!

I wanted to write and specifically update you about the incredible seminar that we had last week: the Israeli Society Seminar. This five day seminar – four days in Jerusalem, and one back on Ein Gev wrapping up – took the Shnatties to meet a wide variety of people and places in Israel’s fantastically diverse capital city, as a microcosm of the challenges Israeli society faces today.



The first day and a half dealt with government and politics. After an introductory discussion at the Haas Promenade (the Tayelet) overlooking the city, we toured the Knesset, and then spent several hours learning about the Israeli political system and current issues with well known educator Mark Lazar. The following morning we then toured the Supreme Court and then did a workshop on human rights and democracy with law student and former Habonim shlicha in Canada Naomi Kassel.




shnatties in the Supreme Court

The second day dealt with the waves of immigration to Israel and the challenges of integrating the diverse Jewish population into one unified society. After watching Israeli film classic Sallah Shabati the previous evening to get a humourous look at immigrant experience, the shnatties had a free lunch in the Machaneh Yehuda market, one of the most delicious places to experience Israel’s ethnically diverse composition. We then toured the Musrara neighborhood, formerly a poor Sephardi neighborhood, with Reuven Abergil, a Morrocan Jew who helped found the Israeli Black Panthers protest organization.


The shnatties with Reuven

The third day dealt with the question of Arab-Jewish relations. We spent the morning at different viewpoints overlooking East Jerusalem with Eitan Katz of the Ir Amim organization, learning about the different issues between Jerusalem City Hall, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority about how to manage the lives of the 200,000 Arabs that live in the city of Jerusalem. In the afternoon we visited the Museum on the Seam, a modern art museum that deals with themes of conflict, coexistence and peace through art in different media. Then we met up with the Machon Habo shnatties on Ben-Yehuda street for some quality time.



The fourth day dealt with religion in society. In the morning we traveled to Israeli Reform Movement headquarters and heard a presentation by Rabbi Gilad Kariv about the way the Israeli government relates to non-Orthodox religious groups. Then we went to the Kotel in the Old City’s Jewish quarter and talked about the way the site is managed and its significance in Israeli society. After lunch, we visited the Rabbi Kook Museum to learn about the founder of religious Zionism. We finished the seminar off with a stop at Bnei Akiva World Headquarters and where we heard from Anton, the BA rakaz chinuch (education worker) who managed to provoke and interest every single Shnattie with his perspective on secular Zionism.




Back on Ein Gev the next morning, we read an excerpt from the Israeli declaration of independence and then used our experiences from the seminar to talk about what parts of the Zionist dream for this state have been fulfilled and what still needs work. To wrap up, the Boneh-nikim planned peulot they will run in the movement at home in Australia and New Zealand about issues in Israel that they care about and think are important to educate on.

Ruth Stevens & The Boneh Team

Boneh Update - May

Shalom parents!

The Boneh program is entering into its last month and we wanted to give you another update on what has been happening.
Since the Pesach chofesh we have had all the national holidays, as described below, but also have been continuing on with general Boneh programming.

The week of Yom Ha’atzmaut was also the week dealing with the British Mandate period, dealing with the rise of the Zionist settlement in Palestine, the development of the different political movements and defense groups in Jewish society, and the relations between the Jews and Arabs here. The siyur (excursion) that week began in Akko at the Underground Prisoners’ Museum, a former Ottoman and British jail where a famous break-out occurred in 1947. Here is a group picture just outside the museum:



The rest of the siyur took place in different Jewish and Arab neighborhoods in the historically mixed city of Haifa, looking both at the way that conflict developed between the population in the Mandate period, and some important examples of cooperation and coexistence.

The next week the Shnatties went on tiyul(hike)! They spent four days hiking and camping in the Golan Heights, one of the most beautiful areas in Israel, going up and down mountains and through waterfalls and streams. Each night they also practiced their field cooking skills, preparing dinner at the campsite, and then slept under the stars. The tiyul was by far a highlight of Boneh and Shnat so far.

Last week was the week dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict. The seminar classes looked at the major wars between the State of Israel and Arab countries, the evolution of Arab-Israeli relations, the peace process, and also at our responsibility for the future. The Thursday siyur (excursion) went back to Golan, this time doing a tour of the battlefields of this much-contested region in order to understand the wars Israel has fought here in a real way. The tour actually began at the lookout point of Kibbutz Kfar Haruv, in former Syrian territory which sits on the edge of the Golan Heights directly overlooking Ein Gev and the Kinneret



This week we are headed to Jerusalem for four days for a seminar on modern Israeli society and politics. We will be exploring the different places and cultures of the city and meeting with people from all the different sectors of Israel – Jewish and Arab, religious and secular, Ashkenazi and Sephardi – to try and understand how far the country has come, and what challenges it faces today.

Machon Update - May

hi again, below is an update we received from the Machon staff. there is some overlap between this and our last general update. best wishes!

Shalom again from Jerusalem where the Machon is entering its final month and it's time for our third update letter. Everyone returned from the Pesach holiday refreshed and hopefully raring to go and they spent much of the first day excitedly sharing their different holiday experiences with us and each other, whether that was for example a very different kind of Seder night than they were used to, a lovely few days spent with their Israeli family, an energetic camping trip or a laid back dance and music festival called Boombamella which many of them went to.

They were soon back into the atmosphere and routine of their regular classes but equally the first two weeks after Pesach were special because of the Israeli chagim of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust memorial day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for Fallen Israeli Soldiers) and Yom HaAtzma'ut (Independence Day).

On the Monday evening night and Tuesday of the first week back it was Yom HaShoah and more or less the whole week was given over to a special Shoah Seminar. On the Sunday there was an outing to Yad Vashem to start the week off and then we explored various aspects of the Holocaust including the history itself, religious responses to the Shoah, the impact on Israeli society and how to educate about the issue as madrichim.

On the Monday evening they all went to an excellent and moving Hebrew play (with English subtitles) called 'Court Jesters' which is about four concentration camp inmates who are chosen to serve as the court jesters of the camp commander, and survive thanks to their theatrical prowess. After the play there was a short question and answer sessions with the director and some of the actors as well as with an inspiring Shoah survivor who had worked with the theatre group on the play and had actually accompanied them to Poland and to visit the camps as part of their preparation.

The next morning there was an excellent tekes (commemorative ceremony) prepared and run by a group of the Machonikim which included some really moving testimonial from one or two Machonikim about their own family who had been murdered in or had survived the Shoah. As the tekes finished we all walked down the road to one of the local busy junctions to listen to the siren and to see the response of Israeli society where everything comes to a halt and most people stop their cars and get out to observe the one minute silence.

We then finished the seminar with a processing session to help them reflect on all of the learning and the emotions that the week had provided.

The middle of the following week was as noted above Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzma'ut and here too there were various special programmes. On the evening of Yom HaZikaron we attended a special tekes and then on the next morning took them up to Mount Herzl to see how Israeli families who have lost loved ones deal with this difficult day and we gave them time to be able to wander around the graves and reflect on what the day meant to them as well as to Israelis. Though it was for many a very moving morning it also gave many of them a sense of being somewhat more of an outsider to Israeli society than they are usually used to feeling as this is perhaps the most "Israeli" chag of all.

We gave the evening and day of Yom HaAtzma'ut as free time and encouraged them to go off and explore how Israelis and different parts of Israel celebrate Independence day here. For most that consisted of many of them were able to reflect on the very different ways that Israelis celebrate Yom HaAtzma'ut here as compared to how this is done and what they are used to in the Diaspora.

These special days have of course taken up much of the focus of the time since the holiday but, apart from their regular courses and classes, there have also been a number of other special events and highlights. There were siyurim (outings) to the Neve Shalom peace village where Jews and Arabs have lived together for many years in an attempt to demonstrate that this kind of coexistence is possible and a trip to the City of David in the Old City which included the really interesting walk through Hezekia's tunnel.

There have been three special Sunday evening programmes, one a fantastic "Bible Rap" optional activity where they were introduced to Matt Bar who writes and performs educational raps to biblical themes and stories and then they wrote and produced their own rap based on a short study of the Lech Lacha piece of Torah text where Abraham is told by God to leave his home and they wrote a rap comparing Abraham's journey to their own journey involved in coming on Shnat. It was generally agreed by the group to gave been one of the best Sunday selection events we have held.

Then the next week was the long awaited programme with the South America Machon. Through a fun treasure hunt activity in mixed groups, which also involved them in performing various tasks and missions throughout the city centre, they got to know some of the South American madrichim, at least those of the 200 of them that speak pretty good English. It was a fun evening with a very good atmosphere and those that took the opportunity now feel that they have made some new friends who as youth movement madrichim, despite being from a different culture, share many of the same values and beliefs that they do. Finally, this week was a somewhat quieter option of a newly released (in Israel at least) and very moving film with a Holocaust related theme that many of them really wanted to see; 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'. Also tonight is Lag B'Omer, a time traditionally marked in Israel with bonfires. On Machon the moetza (the committee of Machon representatives) has also organised their own such bonfire and barbeque, including having to compete with thousands of other Israelis to find spare wood for the fire from around the neighbourhood, and the event is looking like it will be a great success.

This Thursday we are all off on our 5 day Northern tiyul including a pluralistic style Machon Shabbat which will be spent together right up in the North near Kiryat Shmoneh. I will fill you in on some of the highlights from that tiyul and my next letter, which will also be my final one.

best wishes,

Iris Gazit and the Machon staff

Post Pesach Update

Hi all,
Since returning from the Pesach break, the shnatties have plunged into the frenzy of national holidays in Israel. Thus far we have commemorated Yom Hashoa (Holocaust remembrance day), Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror Attacks) and Yom Ha'atsmaut (Israel Independence Day).
On Yom Hashoa, all the Habonim Dror shnat groups from around the world gathered at Lochamei Hagetoaot, a kibbutz near Acco that was founded by fighters in the Warsaw ghetto and members of Dror, which also contains a very unique musuem [that we will visit as part of the Poland preparation process]. Every year the official ceremony to close Yom Hashoa is held at the Amphitheater. It is a very special and unique ceremony, often with a focus towards the Youth movements in Israel. This year the ceremony involved many different survivors, whose stories were both heartbreaking and fascinating. Before the ceremony itself, we held a small Habonim Dror remembrance ceremony which was prepared by the madrichim.
This past weekend, we held a joint Habonim Dror Olami english-speaking weekend, where all the shnatties from North America, England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia met at Kibbutz Afikim near the Kinneret for an intense and fun weekend together. The aims of the weekend were both to learn historially about May Day, and look at what effect the gaps in society have on the relationship between individuals/governments. It ended with a look at solidarity and how Habonim Dror as a worldwide movement, can have a collective outlook for an alternative society. A highlight of the weekend was the viewing of a movie "Shvita" (Strike) which looks at the struggle of a group of workers in the South of Israel. One of the reasons it was so interesting was because of the very personal look it gave into people's lives and the unique socio-economic situation in the South of Israel. The weekend also gave everyone a great opportunity to discover more about Habonim Dror worldwide.
Monday night and Tuesday were Yom Hazikaron. On Monday the Boneh group had a special tour around Ein Gev with renowned historian and frequent guest lecturer Muki Tsur, who is also a member of the kibbutz. Ein Gev for many years was a border settlement and came under heavy attack in the '48, '67 and '73 wars in particular. It was really significant to link the place where the shnatties are living to events from history. The shnatties also participated in a tekes (ceremony) on the kibbutz.
On Tuesday both Machon and Boneh groups were at Har Herzl, the largest military cemetery in Israel, where the official ceremonies are also held. Afterward the Boneh group met with 2 soldiers who fought in the 2nd Lebanon war and lost members of their platoon, and heard their stories. Later in the day the Machon and Boneh groups went on a short walk - limmud beshetach (outdoor learning)- on the Burma Road - the road that was created during the Independence War and enabled Israeli fighters to get to Jerusalem and bring food and supplies. Throughout the walk, they heard stories of the battles that took place. The day ended with a short ceremony at the Machal monument (Machal - Overseas Volunteers who came to fight in the Israeli army) that signified the changeover between commemoration and celebration. Physically being in Israel at this time lends an extra special significance to these events and the meaning behind them.
On Tuesday night and Wednesday the shnatties enjoyed celebrating Yom Ha'atsmaut at various parties and events throughout the country, particularly in downtown Jerusalem, and the "RockAtzmaut" festival in Rishon L'tzion.
Tomorrow is May Day celebrations in Tel Aviv, which will hopefully prove to be an exciting and interesting experience for most shnatties, as they celebrate this holiday for the first time. There is a gathering in Kikar Rabin, and a short march through Tel Aviv streets, followed by performances, dancing and singing. This event is done together with a few thousand members of youth movements in Israel - Hanoar Ha'oved V'lomed, Hashomer Hatzair, and Machanot HaOlim.
Just a short note for any parents concerned about the cases of Swine Flu reported in Israel. Up to date there have been only two confirmed cases, and each has been very mild with no complications. The government at this time has not classified this as a serious public health threat and has stated that no preventative treatment is necessary. We will of course continue to monitor this situation and will update you all if there are any significant changes to protocol.

Boneh Update

This is an update from the Boneh staff. Unfortunately due to technical difficulties we were unable to post it during the chag. Enjoy!

Shalom Boneh parents!
I hope that this Passover finds you happy and full of delicious matza-based foods.
Here in Israel, the Boneh participants are discovering the unique aspects of Pesach in Israel – from the bread aisles closed in supermarkets to the many festivals taking place across the country, including a music festival at home on Ein Gev. And of course, all this chofesh is a good opportunity to let you know a bit more of what has been going on with them these past few weeks.
Three weeks ago, we wrapped up our look at the pre-modern era with a unit on Jews on the Christian world. We tackled the persecution of the Crusades and the Inquisition, [some other stuff] and also the unique culture of the Jews that developed during that time – including a look at the legend of the Golem. That week we also went out to Tel Aviv for a siyur in the Diaspora Museum, a museum that gives interactive expression to so much of what we talked about in Jewish history. Then just for fun we went down to trendy Rothschild Boulevard in south Tel Aviv for a photo-musical exploration of Israeli city culture.
The following week we looked into onset of modernity, and the new challenges and opportunities faced by the Jews at that time and still today. The coursework dealt both with Western Europe’s Jewish emancipation, where Jews first faced the question of choosing between different national identities, and Eastern Europe’s cultural changes among Jews in the face of continued and increased persecution. We then delved into many of the answers Jews chose in response, including the Reform movement, modern Orthodoxy, assimilation, immigration, communism and Bundism. That week we also did a project creating profiles on the website Facebook for intellectual and political figures from that era and chugim on the literature, music, and philosophy of this era. Below you can see a picture of a creative chug building a mock shtetl out of edible ingredients:



The last full module before chofesh was on another movement from that time, Zionism. The participants learned about the advent of European nationalism and how, along with the Dreyfuss Affair, that sparked a young Austrian journalist named Theodor Herzl to create a vision for a Jewish home in Israel. They then moved on to a look at the different streams that developed within Zionism – religious, cultural, political, revisionist and labor – and where those streams are today. Anton Marks of Kvutzat Yovel came to speak to the Boneh about the origins of Zionism, and they also watched a movie. The week’s project was to create children’s story-books which told the story of Jewish history from the perspective of the different Zionist streams. The books came out beautifully and the stories expressed a lot of meaning in a very creative way, as you can see here:



Finally we kicked off Pesach chofesh with two days of study about what is Passover, including Muki Tzur, renowned historian and former mazkir of the Kibbutz Movement, speaking with the shnatties about kibbutz Passover through the years. Then the shnatties split into different teams which created different elements of their own Passover seder using different media – written materials, songs, art, decorations, food, games and drama. Of course the big finale was the seder itself, which was beautiful, interesting and tasty! Have a look:



The shnatties have also been continuing on with the Hebrew classes, their hadracha (leadership) course, their jobs in different kibbutz anafim (branches) and their yemei kvutza (group days), as well as enjoying fierce games of ping-pong and foozeball around the house and finally getting to see Ein Gev in good and sunny weather. Also 20 of them traveled to Ramat Gan for the Israel-Greece World Cup qualifier and many others have been traveling on their weekends off. Finally now all are relaxing and enjoying the chofesh, and we will all be back together to start again next Sunday the 19th.

Machon Update - April

hi everyone, as below is an update from the Machon. the next Boneh update will be posted shortly, as well as some updates on dates for the rest of the year.

Dear Parents, Shalom,

I hope this letter finds you well. It is now very nearly the half way point of the Machon programme and, I wanted just before the Pesach break to write to you again to let you know how things are going since I sent the last letter. Overall our feeling is that Machon continues to go really well and that in the main the Machonikim are having a great time and learning a lot but that, given the intensity of the programme, they are also looking forward to their holiday.

The regular courses are all continuing and are mostly going very well and one measure of that for us is the relatively small number of Machonikim who have asked to change their classes, something which we allow them to do in the first week or so of each course.

The weekly siyurim (trips out) have included a couple of afternoons where they got to explore some of the more difficult social issues in modern Israeli society; a visit to 'Retorno' which is a very special drugs rehabilitation programme where they got to meet some of the residents and a second visit to Tel Aviv, this time with a social justice focus to see to look at the issue of foreign workers and refugees. We also offered an optional tour of Hezekia's tunnels a unique feature of the Old City in Jerusalem that some Machonikim had already been to on previous Israel tours but not everyone. Even though this was on their one free midweek evening, some 35 of the 50 of them signed up for this which took place a couple of days ago.

The optional Sunday selection evenings have continued to draw people even after a long day including the weekly siyur. The three sessions since I last wrote have been an improvisation workshop by the Jerusalem Theatre company, a meeting with the 'Three Faiths Forum, where we explored the issue of Christian/Muslim/Jewish dialogue in Israel and a meeting with 'Maagalei Tzedek' an organisation that coordinates various volunteering and social; justice projects in Israel.

We also had a special guest speaker coming in to our regular Israel Update class which focuses on political and other current affairs in Israel. Uri Bank is one of the few an Anglo-Israelis to stand for the Knesset in the last election. Of American origin, he stood for the right-wing National Union party and just missed out being elected by one seat. He came and spoke very eloquently about his idea of a peace plan that did not involve a two state solution and I think the Machonikim found it most challenging. After Pesach we will be inviting in for that same course a left wing speaker from Peace Now to put an opposite perspective. This is just one of many examples of our commitment as the Machon to presenting a plurality of views from across the Jewish-Zionist spectrum, whether that be religious or political, and encouraging the Machonikim to question, debate, to challenge and be challenged by the material.

A week or so ago we had a week-long desert based Tiyul down the South of the country. Just some of the highlights from this really successful and enjoyable tiyul included a 7 hour hike through the Ramon Crater (one of the world's unique geographical features), a meeting with the Black Hebrews community in Dimona, a night camping out under the stars, a desert bike ride and a snorkelling activity and a disco boat evening in Eilat – very tiring but very worthwhile.

In addition to these elements of the formal programme are of course the things the Machonikim organise for themselves. Again, in the last couple of weeks, there have been a number of events within Israeli society that many of them have attended in their own time. Two weeks ago over 150 of them, including South American Machon, organised to go to the Israel v Greece World Cup Qualifying soccer match in Ramat Gan. Though the game was not the most exciting ever, and though Israel could only draw, the atmosphere, especially during the singing of the Hatikva at the start of the game, we something very special for them. This last weekend quite a number of them spent the weekend in Tel Aviv, many attending a special mock Seder Night for refugees which looked at the meaning of freedom in a modern Israeli context and others attending concerts and other events that took place as the start of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Tel Aviv as the first Hebrew city. In similar vein, many of them are planning to attend the popular camping and music festival Boombamella which takes place during Pesach.

Overall we the staff find them to be bonding well and generally operating as a very close community with very few cliques. You can see this in all kinds of ways.
In the last week we have also had a couple of Machonikim who have needed to spend a few nights in hospital and it has been great to see their Machon friends, especially from their movement, rallying round to visit them and speak to them on the phone regularly and we really hope that they are both out and fully recovered in time to enjoy their Pesach break.

Finally, the last couple of weeks have seen the clocks go forward to summer time and finally some sustained nice sunny weather in Jerusalem and some of them have now taken to going for a regular morning jog to stay fit. Given that classes start at 8.00am this is certainly impressive!

If any of you are visiting Jerusalem in the coming weeks please do be in contact and feel free to come up to Kiryat Moriah and say hello to us here in the Machon offices.

Best Regards and Chag Pesach Sameach,

Iris Gazit

Director, English speaking Machon

Boneh Update

Shalom from beautiful kibbutz Ein Gev, on the shores of the Kinneret and at the foot of the Golan! Here in this beautiful location, Boneh has been moving along at a brisk pace. The Boneh-nikim have continued along in their Jewish history curriculum for the past three weeks – the last three topics were the origins of the Exile, Jews in the Muslim World and Jews in the Christian World.

During the week of Exile, we looked at how the Jewish people were divided during the late second temple period and how that allowed the Romans to conquer them; with miniature bows and arrows and enacted and debated the Bar Kochba Rebellion; we watched the Rabbis transform Judaism in order to save it and questioned just how fine the points of Talmudic logic could get; and then wrapped it all up with Amos Oz’s understanding of Judaism as a civilization. On film night we watched Monty Python’s Life of Brian to get a feel for the period. That week we also traveled to ancient Tiberias, just across the Kinneret from Ein Gev, to explore an ancient synagogue and Beit Midrash (study house) where the Sanhedrin’s rabbis studied, wrote and completed the writing the Palestinian Talmud. From there, we went on to Jerusalem to meet Machon and many other Masa participants and to enjoy an amazing concert of the Idan Raichel Project!

Then we moved on to learn about Jews in the Muslim world, starting from a look at the Muslim conquest and the new perils and opportunities it brought to the majority of the world’s Jews at that time. We looked at a variety of responses Jews chose to this new situation, and particularly at the strong Rabbinic leadership that eventually reunited the people, including such important figures as Saadia Gaon, Ibn Ezra and particularly the great Moses Maimonides. We then looked at the Golden Age for Jews in Spain under Muslim rule, at the development and progress of Jewish thought at this time, and also at Yehuda Halevi’s poetry which in the face of this good situation still focused so strongly on yearning for Zion. The week was wrapped up by projects – this week it was creating game shows which could be used to teach about Jews in the Muslim World - we enjoyed such creative shows as Hollywood Squares, Taboo and Top Jewish Chef.

This week was interrupted briefly in the middle by Purim, which of course is an opportunity to celebrate! Many Shnatties traveled for the evening, mainly to Holon to celebrate together with the British shnatties, but came back Tuesday afternoon in time to participate in running a Purim carnival for the kibbutz children. The little kids had a great time and the Shnatties had a great chance to meet kibbutzniks and experience the holiday Israel-style. They also prepared a special dance for the kibbutz grownups’ Purim Play which they performed on the Friday night.

Last week we learnt about Jews in the Christian World, focusing on both the Spanish Inquisition and the rise of Polish Jewry. Questions they asked included: “How did the Jewish community look under conditions of freedom and tolerance?” “How did the Golden Age end? What were the reasons the Inquisition happened? What were the external factors going on at the time?” “How did the Jews respond to persecution?” The Boneh-nikim also had a siyur (excursion) to the Diaspora Musuem in Tel Aviv, also known as the Museum of the Jewish People. The museum conveys the story of the Jewish people from the time of their expulsion after the 2nd temple destruction, to the present day and relates to the unique story of the continuity of the Jewish people.

The above questions continue in this weeks’ seminar which looks at both “Shtetl” life and the Emancipation period.

Other highlights of the Boneh tochnit (program) include Hadracha and Israel Update. Hadracha is the leadership course that all Habonim Dror shnatties participate in. Through this course we combine both practical and theory leadership aspects and all that is connected to being a responsible madrich (leader) upon return to Australia or New Zealand. So far this Boneh, we have looked at the concept of groups as opposed to teams, and “reading” a group such that you can appropriately respond and deal with its needs; working as a tzevet (team) which is a crucial aspect of hadracha, basic youth psychology and development, counseling and duty of care; all of which are topics imperative to being in charge for children and young adults. Hadracha classes take place every week, with an additional specialization afternoon to take place in May.

Israel Update also takes place every week, and allows the Boneh-nikim to spend some more time getting to know in depth what is going on in Israeli society today. As you can probably imagine, the focus is mainly on the ever changing political situation given the aftermath of the February elections.

That’s all for now – some pictures to follow soon!

Machon Update - March

This is an update we received yesterday from the director of the Machon

Dear Parents, Shalom,

Well, it is now just five weeks into the program and, as the Director of English Speaking Machon, I just wanted to write to let you know how things are going from our perspective and to share with you a few of the highlights from this opening period, though hopefully your children also have been keeping you up to date with what is happening on the program from their point of view.

It seems to us that the Machon is in general going very well so far, the atmosphere among the Machon community seems really good and most of them seem to be enjoying the program. In the very first week, straight after getting them settled into to their new home at Kiryat Moriah, there was already a major and important event for Machonikim to get to grips with, the Israeli elections. We spent the morning helping them understand what was going on and how the political situation in Israel works with them running their own mock elections and then in the afternoon they went out around different neighbourhoods in Jerusalem to see the election atmosphere on the streets and to interview people there. Despite a fairly heavy downpour it was a really interesting day and in the evening most people gathered around the television to hear the initial exit poll results and to debate what we thought would happen. As you probably know, we will hopefully know the real result of that in terms of what the next Israeli government will look like in the coming weeks.

The day after the election we took the whole group of 52 on a 2 day tiyul (trip/hike) down to the Massada and Dead Sea area of Israel. The main aim, apart from seeing that area, was a group bonding one where people could start to get to know and make friends with people from the other youth movements with their very different ideologies (we have 5 movements on Machon; Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair, Netzer, Betar and Hineni), as well as those from other cities countries (we have both Australians and South Africans on this Machon). This tiyul really achieved that well and was overall pretty relaxed in style. Highlights were the climb up Massada, a lovely desert hike and a night sleep-out.

The week after they came back from the tiyul we started to move into the various lessons in earnest. There are 5 basic areas of learning on Machon – Judaism, Israel/Zionism, hadracha (youth leadership), Hebrew and the Story of the Jewish People, that is an overview of Jewish History. In each area the Machonikim have various choices of courses, some based on different content and some based on the style of learning that they most wanted. Some classes are more lecture-based while others use more interactive programmes. As well as the classes in these main areas there are a couple of other slots in the week when they can choose from a range of sessions covering a whole variety of different topics. To give you some idea, some of the more popular options included such courses as the philosophy of Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Israel Advocacy and Israeli society through film.

After they gave all their choices the team worked out who could do what and in almost all cases most people got either their first or second choices. Within the first week or so of lessons anyone who really thought they were in the wrong place could ask to swap classes and we tried to allow that whenever possible. Things have now pretty much settled down and we as a staff are pretty pleased with the level of participation and learning going on.

Twice a week we take them out for educational experiences in places other than Kiryat Moriah. Once a week we have half day trip to important sites around and near Jerusalem. So far these trips have included a visit to the Herzl & Begin museums in Jerusalem, a trip to Tel Aviv to see the Palmach museum about the history of the early pre-state army and a trip to the Vertigo dance company where they experienced a really interesting workshop.




On Wednesday afternoons everyone is involved in some form of practical community involvement project involving some volunteering or hadracha experience that gives them a sense of involvement in and commitment to different aspects of Israeli society. In this time slot many of them are helping teach English to disadvantaged Israelis, some are involved in practical work including going out picking fruit and vegetables for an organisation called 'Table to Table' which provides food to families living below the poverty line and working on the creation of a community garden in a deprived neighbourhood, some are working with disabled adults at an organisation called 'galagalim', some do Jerusalem Journeys where they visit less well known neighbourhoods in Jerusalem and also learn some basic guiding skills while others are involved in a social justice project where they must research an area of social need and then plan and run a small scale project that can help with their issue. For many of them there is of course a great sense of satisfaction in these activities and a feeling that they are not just taking and learning but also giving something back as well.

On Sunday evenings we have an exciting new slot called 'Sunday Selections' which is optional but where we bring in to Machon, among other things, some exciting guests including contemporary Israeli artists. The first week we had a band called Coolalush which was a real highlight for those that came and then last week we had an Israeli Film Director talk about the role of Israeli film. Next week we will have an Israeli theatre company running an interactive workshop and discussing their work.

Most weekends they are free from Thursday evenings until we start classes again on the Sunday morning but last weekend everyone stayed for a special Machon Shabbat. The idea was to share Shabbat together as a group and also to explore how different people and different movements celebrate and deal with Shabbat. On the Friday evening all the Machonikim were invited in small groups to the homes of different Machon teachers for a Friday night meal, including joining the teachers for synagogue beforehand for those that wanted. The feedback was great and it seems that Machonikim really appreciated the opportunity for a home cooked meal and to better get to know their teachers in an out-of-class atmosphere. On Saturday afternoon there was a programme exploring the advantages and difficulties of celebrating Shabbat together when people have such different ideas and beliefs about how this should be done and then after Shabbat had gone out we took the whole group bowling. It was a lovely Shabbat and we will have one more of these later on in the programme, while they are away again on tiyul.

Finally, during this week it was of course Purim. Being in Israel during the chagim is one of the great experiences of Shnat. On Monday evening when it is Purim in most parts of the country but not in Jerusalem, most of them went over in the evening to experience the Tel Aviv street party and clubbing scene that goes on during Purim. Then on Tuesday we ran some activities to help them get into the Jerusalem Purim spirit. We the Machon ran a programme where they learned about Purim from a variety of more unusual perspectives and then in the afternoon everyone dressed up and we ran a Purim carnival for them. The moetza (the committee that is made up of representatives of the different movements) finished things off by running a fantastic and creative' Persia's Top Model' Fashion show with everyone showing off their fancy dress on the catwalk. Purim itself from the Tuesday evening to Wednesday was free for them to experience Purim in Jerusalem as they wished. In the evening many went to hear the megilla being read in one of the neighbourhood synagogues and then on the Wednesday most went off to different parts of town to see how Purim is celebrated by different Jerusalemites.

I think that is all for now and I hope that I have been able to give you a small flavour of the programme thus far and what has been happening. We the staff are very much enjoying working with the Machonikim, both individually and as a group. I hope to write again in a month or so, just near to the Pesach break, to give you another Machon update.

Until then, best wishes to you all,

Iris Gazit and the Machon staff team

Time has flown by with the shnatties in Israel for over a month already!
The shnatties have been settling into their routines and continually adjusting to being on Shnat and in Israel. Israel is still clinging to winter here, with the biggest storm in sometime hitting the country over this past weekend. As most of you probably know, there is a water shortage in Israel and hence the rain has been very warmly welcomed as a whole, but has caused a few sniffles and colds amongst the groups.
The Boneh group has been looking at the concept of Peoplehood and the founding stories of the Jewish Nation. The topics included Abraham and the Covenant, The Exodus from Egypt and the Ten Commandments. Some of the themes included the morals of The Exodus and treating a stranger; national freedom; the Ten Commandments as a moral basis for the Jewish people to live by and the dilemmas involved in entering the Land of Israel and creating a new society there. During Project time, 5 different smaller groups wrote plays and then acted them out, of the story of Exodus but each from a different perspective. Each play was incredible, particularly the play looking at the story from the perspective of an Egyptian, which turned itself into a tragedy as opposed to the popular comedic choice. The Bonehniks also created their own Commandments for a moral society, complete on an authentic looking scroll (thanks to coffee grinds and matches!).
In this past week they looked at the Agricultural Society of the people of Israel. The themes included looking at whether the agricultural laws served to create a just and equal society; whether the "Shloshet Regalim" festivals helped to unify the nation, and the prophets and priests and the different kinds of societies they envisioned, and the leadership they displayed.
Aside from seminars, the Boneh group has started working on the kibbutz once a week. The different places of work include the garden, refet (cowshed), the restaurant, the school, chader ochel (dining room), kitchen and the fields. Due to the heavy rain, some of the work places have had some delays in starting, particularly the fields. On these days alternate arrangements have been made for those who were meant to work in those places.
Other highlights include Yom Kvutsa, Hitkansut, Hebrew, Israel Update and Hadracha. More on these subjects will follow in the next blog update.
The Boneh group also had a special MASA presentation where they each received a backpack filled with useful things to help them in Israel such as a map of different cities, a hebrew phrasebook and useful phone numbers.
The Machon is due to send an update to parents next week, and we will be sure to post it on the blog when it is sent.
Last Thursday all the shnatties participated in a special ceremony dedicating the World Zionist Youth Movement forest in Ruchama. It was a long day overall, but provided an opportunity for the Boneh and Machon groups to meet up, and also get to know the other Habonim Dror shnatties from the northern hemisphere. This week the shnatties will again meet at a special Idan Reichel concert in Jerusalem on Thursday evening.

The first weeks of Boneh and Machon have been progressing along smoothly with the shnatties slowly starting to settle down into a routine.
Both groups participated [separately] in a 3 day orientation seminar that included a day devoted to election activities. The Machoniks got orientated with the Kiryat Moriah campus in Jerusalem and all the rules and procedures of the Machon; the Bonehniks likewise with Kibbutz Ein Gev and the Boneh tochnit (program).
Discussions included topics such as: What does it mean to be on Shnat?; What is informal education?; or Hebrew as a Zionist value. Some of the formalities included Hebrew placement tests to determine which level each shnattie would be in. Both groups participated in a Seder for Tu Bishvat, which was a very fitting chag with which to begin this part of Shnat with.
On Tuesday, Israeli election day, the Boneh group went on a tour of the Kinneret area but unfortunately it was fairly rainy and visibility was low. They then went to Tiberias were there was a treasure hunt/getting to know the city planned which included visiting polling stations in the city centre. The Machon group split into mock Knesset factions before splitting into various groups and visiting different polling stations around the city, which enabled them to see a wide cross section of Israeli society.


On Wednesday both groups set out for tiyul (hike). The Machon group hiked in the Ein Gedi area, visited the Dead Sea and then camped out at the Eastern base of Masada before setting out at sunrise on Thursday to climb the snake path and tour Masada. Later in the day they did some more orientation and bonding activities in the desert. The Boneh group started in the other direction near Arad and hiked throughout the desert until Friday morning, stopping only just to camp out in the desert on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Thursday night they slept at the Western base of Masada and climbed the Roman ramp before sunrise on Friday. The rest of the day was spent at the Dead Sea and then getting dropped off for their free weekend.This week both groups are getting into the swing of life in Ein Gev and Jerusalem respectively, and the structure of classes and activities. Stay tuned until the next blog update, for more summaries and pictures of Shnat 2009!

Orientation Continues...

This past week has been both relaxing and hectic for all the new shnatties. It has been a time of excitement and new meetings, serious discussions and the start and strengthening of meaningful (and lifelong) friendships.
From last Sunday the shnatties were at the beautiful JNF campsite of Nes Harim which was quite reminiscent of a machane back in Australia or New Zealand - except for the luxury of cabins instead of tents! Despite a bit of drizzle on the first day, the rest of the week provided beautiful sunshine and allowed for many outdoor activities as well as intense discussions. The shnatties had peulot (programs) including discussing the equality of human value, wiping away prior stigmas and starting discussions on taking active and creative responsibility for their year ahead. Some of the kef (fun) actitivties included the entire group making plaster masks and painting them, a competition style "get to know your madrichim" game, and having an Australian/New Zealand culture evening.
On Thursday the shnatties left Nes Harim and travelled north, stopping on the way at Mt Tavor (near Afula) for a refreshing half-day hike. Tavor was the scene of a few biblical battles, and is uniquely shaped such that it is very distinguishable in Israel. The shnatties hiked their way up the mountain and as they were finishing, noticed a large pile of rubbish just strewn across the natural surroundings. Within a few minutes, the whole group had spontaneously cleaned up the lot!!
Thursday evening until tomorrow (Sunday) morning, the shnatties have been staying at Kibbutz Ravid, close to Tiberias. They have continued their orientation time, with some focus on practical matters including room discussions between the Machon & Boneh groups. On Friday night they had an awesome bonfire and singalong with marshmallows and on Saturday morning a nice walk around the area of the kibbutz.
Tomorrow the Machon group are travelling early in the morning to Jerusalem, and the Boneh group to Kibbutz Ein Gev. I am sure everyone will be happy to unpack their gear and do a load of washing! Both groups have a similar schedule this week with more orientation activities and special election activities on Tuesday. On Wednesday & Thursday the Machon group will be hiking and touring around the Ein Gedi and Dead Sea/Masada area. The Boneh group will be hiking from Arad to Masada/Dead Sea from Wednesday to Friday morning.

Kiwis arrive safely!

Early on Friday morning, the New Zealand group arrived and joined the Australians in Ramat Rachel, Jerusalem where they have had a nice and relaxing Shabbat weekend.

The New Zealanders at the lovely hour of 4am, at the airport together with 2 of their madrichim, Samo and Hannah.

The Australians meantime have been finishing their hectic AZYC seminar and on Sunday morning everyone will be travelling to Nes Harim (a JNF campground near Bet Shemesh) to start the Habonim Dror Orientation seminar.Some of the Australian shnatties with David Broza, who gave an incredible private performance at the AZYC offical opening ceremony. Other speakers included MK Isaac Herzog, Zev Bielski the head of the Jewish Agency, and the Australian Ambassador to Israel, James Larsen.