Chava Achot Seminar: "Possibly the best seminar of workshop!"

Friday and Saturday, the Workshoppers participated in Chava Achot Seminar. There were 160 chanichim on Kibbutz Ravid, half made up of Workshoppers and their Australian counterparts, and half made up of Israelis from Hanoar Haoved (our sister youth movement). The Israelis are spending a year of national service before entering the army, living in communes and running kennim (youth movement activites) all over the country. Each workshop kvutza was paired with a chava close-ish to them, so they are hopefully able to continue the relationships they started. The seminar began with conversations about Jewish identity, and the differing experiences of being Jewish in the Diaspora and Israel. After dinner, the Australian chanichim led Shabbat shira (singing), before everyone split off for fun evening activities. On Saturday, the groups returned to peulot about Zionism, and the shared experiences of growing up in a youth movement. Through discussing what the relationship between Habonim Dror and Hanoar Haoved, they also dealt with the relationship between the Diaspora and Israel as one facet of Zionism. Aside from an educational discussion about Judaism and Zionism, the seminar was also a very important cultural meeting for the Workshoppers. It gave them a chance to deepen their understanding of Israelis, and of themselves as part of the wider Jewish world.

Starting off the seminar with some team building games.

The Rishon kvutza getting to know their new friends a little better. The question: what is the most difficult part about communal living?

Trying to guess the size of the Jewish communities around the world. 

Try the quiz yourself here.

Putting different actions in order of most to least Zionist. Options included: teaching Hebrew in Moscow, donating to the JNF, settling the West Bank, working in high tech in Herzliyah, serving in the IDF on the border with Syria. Guess which ones engendered the most heated debate? (Spoiler: settling the west bank. If it isn't your vision of Zionism, is it still Zionism?)

Jasper, Celia, Jacob H and Zoe: discussing during a break how the seminar has given them a different perspective on Israeli society. Specifically, how knowing you have to serve in the army changes your  relationship to your country and the way you see the security issues in Israel. 

Everyone gathered together for the closing tekkes.

Workshop 63 in Action

Last Friday, Tzevet Haifa (from the Acco Kvutza) took a special trip to Beit Hatzeirim, the after school club for 3rd to 6th graders, to participate in a Parents Day. The afternoon featured performances from the kids' interest groups, including a dance show and a display from the photography chug, a ping pong tournament, pizza making and games.

Chief, Sara B, Ari and Naomi, in front of a mural they created with their chanichim. It reads: Beit Hatzeirim (Youth House)  and Lo L'gizanut (No to Racism). 

A few more photos from the VIA Day...

And the Acco garden continues to grow!

Rachel hard at work!

Pictures from Messima

What is messima? Messima means "mission" in Hebrew. In Habonim Dror, we view our volunteer projects as long term missions within Israeli society, working through education to create a just and equal Israeli society. Teaching English is the method we use to connect with Israeli youth and create a fun place for them to be, and to open a conversation about values, their life in Israel, and empowering them to shape Israeli society in the future. We work mostly with peripheral communities, either designated as at-risk by the Ministry of Welfare or marginalized by their location or life experience. Today, we are active in Holon, Bat Yam, Yafo, Rishon Letzion, Acco, Haifa, Kfar Manda, Carmiel, Iblin, Deir Al Assad and Sachnin. Although there are some changes from year to year based on demographic changes within the messimot, our projects are ongoing, long-term relationships with the schools and organizations where we are active. The impact of the Workshoppers and other Habonim Dror chanichim that do messima in these places over the years is truly incredible, and today some of them rely on us to continue their activites. Each messima also has a melaveh (escort/guide) that runs weekly tzevet meetings where the Workshoppers can process their experience and sharpen their hadracha (leadership) skills. This is an important place for the Workshoppers to connect their experiences in Israel to their ideological questions, about Israel, being Jewish, and being a leader in Habonim Dror.

The Rishon kvutza in action at messima! The pictures below are from the Holon tzevet, who volunteer in two elementary schools and an afternoon center for at-risk youth.

Zach and Aaron at school.

Rafi on a break with his chanichim.

Helping out in school.

Playing games!

Below photos from the messima in Akko.

Dan playing soccer at HaOgen (The Anchor), a youth club for Arab kids in Acco. The kids come after school for a snack, homework help, and fun activities.

Jess, Lindsey and Dan in school in Acco, running an activity in English.

The students creating a list of things they want to exist in their society.

VIA Day

Yesterday the Workshoppers attended the VIA Day (Values in Action Day) hosted by the WZO.
The day started with a classic ruach (spirit) competition between all the different youth movements. Habonim Dror, with representatives from North America, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and even one New Zealander, dominated! We were also proud to have Daniel Samowitz, former HDOZ Mazkir and current Rosh Chinuch (Educational Director) of World Habonim Dror, hosting the opening ceremony. Check out the video of the Brazilian Habonim chanichim leading everyone in a song.

Below, a list of some of the speakers we saw:

Guy Spigelman, CEO of PresenTense Israel: “From Budapest to Nazareth”

 Brief: We seem to be in a “post history” stage of the story of

 Israel and the Jewish people. Guy Spigelman will take you on

 a journey starting in Budapest, where he was part of the revival of

 Habonim Dror in Eastern Europe at the end of the Cold War, to Nazareth in 2014 and

 the launch of the first hi-tech incubator for Arab entrepreneurs in Israel. He will pose the

question: What are the big stories of today, and what can you do to shape their outcomes?

 Mr. Spigelman spent 14 years in Israel’s hi-tech and bio-tech industries in senior

 management roles. He also served as the chairman of Merchavim, the Institute for

 the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel. Mr. Spigelman is a Major in the

 IDF Spokesperson Unit (serving in the reserves), and has appeared numerous times

 in international media during times of conflict. In 1996 he was on the Labor list for

 the Israeli Knesset after leading a public campaign, together with former Education

 Minister Yuli Tamir, to reform higher education finance. Mr. Spigelman was brought up

 in Sydney, Australia and to this day says that his spiritual home is Habonim Dror, where

 he served as Federal Mazkir, and where he met his wife Naomi. Today he and Naomi

live in central Tel Aviv with Eden, Galia, and Neta.

Dr. Tova Ganzel, Director of the Midrasha, Bar-Ilan University: "Raising the Glass Ceiling: Participation of Religious Women in Israeli Halachic Discourse"

 Brief: Through her personal story, Dr. Ganzel will present the

 work of “yo’atzot Halacha,” female Halachic advisors who answer women’s questions

 about Jewish law. She will explore the consequences of this relatively new role in Jewish

society, which gives women an opportunity to ask private questions to other women,

 rather than to male Rabbis. Has the status of “Rabbi” been diminished, or has it risen

 thanks to the work of Yo’atzot? Dr. Ganzel will explore what each of us can do in order

to increase the number of women sitting around the table of Halachic discussion.

 Dr. Ganzel was one of the first Yo’atzot Halacha (female advisors in Jewish law) produced

 by the unique Yo’atzot training program at Jerusalem’s Nishmat Institute. She holds a

 Ph.D. in Bible from Bar-Ilan University. A former Tikvah Fellow, she is the recipient of a

 number of prestigious academic awards and grants. Dr. Ganzel has published over 20

 articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries. She is also the author of A Visionary’s

Oracles: From Destruction to Restoration, Studies in the Prophecies of Ezekiel.

Yair Zivan, Co-Founder, Kol Voice Seminars Jewish Activism – A Call to Action for Jewish Youth Movements”

 Brief: Mr. Zivan will examine the role of youth movements in

 Jewish activism – what have we accomplished, and where are we

 headed? As a proud graduate of the world of Jewish youth and student movements, Mr.

 Zivan will argue that youth movements should be leading the Jewish community from

the front, and creating just the right amount of chaos along the way.

 Mr. Zivan currently serves as the International Media Advisor to the President of the

 State of Israel, Shimon Peres. Formerly he was Campaign Director for the Union of

 Jewish Students in the UK, responsible for the recruitment and training of political

 activists, liaising with the Jewish community on political strategy, and representing

 Jewish students to the media and to the UK government. He is married to Rebecca,

 together they founded Kol Voice Seminars after making Aliyah in 2009. Kol Voice

 Seminars works to strengthen Jewish identity and improve the standard of activism

 across the Jewish world. The Zivans founded Kol Voice on the belief that active

 engagement with complex issues would create confident Jewish activists and

stronger Jewish community.

Upcoming Dates

Over the next two months, the Workshoppers have plenty of exciting things to look forward to. Check out some of their upcoming activities:

March 23: VIA Day. The WZO is hosting a TEDTalks-style day for Youth Movements or "Values in Action Day". The Workshoppers have the opportunity to choose between different sessions led by a variety of Israeli educators, activists and entrepreneurs. It's a great opportunity to mix with other youth movements and to see some incredible guest speakers.

March 28-29: Chava Achot Seminar. A weekend seminar with our sister movement, Hanoar Haoved. Each Workshop kvuvtza is paired with a sister "chava" (the name of the Hanoar Haoved post-high school service year). It's a chance for Workshoppers to meet Israel youth their age who grew up in a youth movement and are currently living communally and doing messima with youth. The theme of the seminar is about Jewish identity in the Diaspora and in Israel. 

March 31-April 2: Closing the Gap Seminar. MASA is hosting a three day seminar for all gap year participants focused on developing skills to transition their experiences in Israel back to campus life. It will be held in Jerusalem, and include workshops, fun activities around Jerusalem and guest speakers. 

April 14th-April 22: Passover Holiday. 

April 25-26: May Day Seminar. This weekend seminar is for all of English speaking Habonim Dror participants, and Workshoppers will have a chance to meet a new group of Australian, South African and New Zealand chanichim. The content of this seminar will be around the concept of solidarity and Habonim Dror's relationship to the labour movement.

May 1st: May Day Rally. A festival-style parade in support of workers' rights and solidarity in Tel Aviv.

Pasechet Prep

"Pasechet" is a day camp for kids offered during the Passover holidays from school. Each Pasechet has a theme, skits, songs and plenty of fun activities. It resembles Yom Meyuchad (Special Day) in Habonim Dror machanot, and generally includes some educational content. The Workshoppers will be running Pasechot all over the country, recruiting participants from the after school clubs and schools where they have messima.

Today, the Workshoppers went through preparation for running their own Pasechot. The day was themed around the Disney movie Frozen, and Dean, the Acco Kaveret Rakaz, demonstrated how to run a great Pasechet. Check out the pictures below!

Queen Dean gets the day started. 

Sara gets into the costume action!

Gabe and Ari taking part is some activities, totally hygienic. 

A little teamwork, starring Naomi. 

A game going well...

Good thing Micah had somewhere soft to land. Just kidding!

Happenings on Kaveret

In between the Journey to Poland and busy messima schedules, the Workshoppers have also been having some fun lately! Below are some pictures from Kaveret.

The Rishon kvutza making puppets.

Big E constructs the puppet theater.

Eli and the final performance.

Jess and Jacob enjoying the nice weather to make some masks in Acco.

The Acco kvutza has also been hard at work on their garden. They planted radishes, tomatoes and a variety of herbs so far. Micah and Rachel have been taking care of it, with a little help from the others.

Hanging out on the beach in Acco.

An ultimate throwing competition underway.

Purimon

During Purim, many of the after school clubs (moadon) where the workshoppers do messima put on carnival-style activities called a "Purimon." It generally involves a lot of costumes and fun activities, and of course oznei haman (hamentaschen). The Workshoppers were heavily involved in planning and running the activities, including choosing to participate on their non-messima days. Below are some pictures from the festivities!

Building their station for the Purimon!

Rafi, Zach and Aaron getting into the spirit of Purim.

Chanichim Thoughts from Poland

Below is the text from a speech given by Jasper ter Kuile, our resident Dutchie on Workshop 63. After spending the morning in Krakow learning about the Akiba youth movement and their resistance against the Nazis, Jasper was part of creating the tekkes. The theme of the tekkes was rebellion, and Jasper wrote the following thoughts about rebellion and the youth movement.

Why we do rebel?
We rebel because we love. Because we can't stand by and do nothing while all that is dear to us is burning.
Because we love humanity we rebel.
Because the world is dear to us we rebel.

We refuse to stand by and do nothing while bad things happen to the people we love.
We watch our country, our nation, our people suffer and we refuse to simply let it pass.
We feel the pain of their loss because we know the joy of happiness.
And once you can feels another's pain it's so much harder to stay silent and do nothing.
Our love for others is the light that keeps us figthing over and over again, time after time. And if we ever stop loving we will stop fighting. Our love for one another is our greatest weapon.
Because we feel love for those near us. We will help those farther from us. Those whom we may not know yét and whom we may not love, yét. But we will rebel for them because we know that they too love and are loved.

The Acco kvutza at Josefinska Street, where the leaders of the Krakow underground

 lived in a movement commune. This commune was the center of the rebellion that 

bombed the Cyganeria Cafe, a Nazi restaurant. Reading about life in the commune provided 

some good perspective and a few laughs about the similarities between communal life

then and now. Turns out arguing about cleaning up in shared living spaces is in the youth

movement DNA! To read more about the Krakow underground, visit http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/education/newsletter/30/armed_resistance.asp. 

Siyur Thursday

On Thursday, the Workshoppers had a siyur (tour) with Julian Resnik, the Mazkir of Habonim Dror Olami. They toured around the original settlement of Tel Aviv, learning about the the founding of Tel Aviv, the architecture of the city, and discussing what it means to build a Hebrew city. The siyur finished with a great conversation about what it means to be a Jewish educator, and whether or not a familiarity with traditional Jewish texts was an important base for Jewish educators. As the Workshoppers think about returning to Machaneh this summer, this question of being a Jewish educator is increasingly important.

Julian and the Workshoppers on the streets of Tel Aviv.

Mosh boys love siyurim. (Micah and Rafi.) 

Poland

Early Sunday morning the Workshoppers returned from their Journey to Poland. Below is a schedule of our Journey and some pictures. Please check back soon for some chanichim perspectives from the Journey.

Listening to the story of a Righteous Among the Nations, Galicia Museum, Krakow. 

Entering Birkenau. 

The tekkes (ceremony) at Majdanek, near Lublin.

At one of the small remaining pieces of the wall of the Warsaw Ghetto.

All of Workshop 63 at Grochow, the site of the former hachshara (training) farm of the halutzic movements.

The synagogue in the shtetl of Tykochin.

Nora telling the story of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, led by the youth movements, including Dror.

Preparing for our final tekkes, at the Rapaport Monument, Warsaw.

Workshop 63 final tekkes, Warsaw.

Sunday February 23 “Jewish Life and Dilemmas in Pre-War Poland”	Depart Israel LOT 152 06:00 Arrive Warsaw Drive to Krakow (Lunch on the way) The Old Jewish Quarter of Kazimisch         Altschul Synagogue         Isaac Synagogue        Temple Synagogue        Rama Synagogue Galicia museum            Speech from a Righteous Gentile Overnight: Krakow
Monday February 24th “The Concentration Camp: Dehumanization”	Auschwitz Bikenau Memorial Ceremony (planned by Workshoppers) Overnight: Krakow
Tuesday February 25th “Breaking and Making Communities: Inside the Ghetto”	Plaszow Labour Camp Krakow Ghetto Oscar Schindler's Factory Zigganeria Cafe and the Act of Rebellion Lunch in Suikintze Central Market Overnight: Lublin
Wednesday February 26th “Inside the Nazi World”	Walking tour of Nazi HQ and Aryan Lublin Lublin Yeshiva Majdanek Camp Memorial Ceremony (planned by Workshoppers) Overnight: Warsaw
Thursday February 27th “The Jewish Leadership and the Dilemmas of the Holocaust”	Walking Tour of Warsaw Ghetto Jewish Cemetery of Warsaw Krashinksi Gardens Polish Monument to the Uprising Dzielna 34: the home of the Dror Movement Overnight Warsaw
Friday February 28th “Destruction of Communities”	Tzkyotzin Shtetl: Synagogue and Market Square Lopochova Forest: the site of the murder of Tzkyotzin residents Treblinka Memorial Site Overnight: Warsaw
Saturday February 29th “The Youth Movement and the Uprising”	Grochov: the Youth Movement Training Farm Janusz Korszak House Walking Path to Heroism: the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising            Umshlagplatz            Zamenhoff            Mila 18 Closing Ceremony at Rappaport Memorial Dinner and Polish Folklore Depart Warsaw LOT 151   22:50
Sunday March 1st	Arrive in Israel 03:35 Return to Kaveret Houses