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.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, March 13, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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 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.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
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!
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