Purimon

Before we left for Poland, the Workshoppers participated in "Purimon" in their messimot (a Purim-themed day camp).

Below, pictures from a "Frozen" themed Purimon.

Poland Prep

February 15th to 17th was our Second Poland Prep Seminar. This seminar focused on establishing a shared foundation of understanding regarding the historical progression of the Second World War and the Holocaust. The seminar also opened up some of the central dilemmas of our upcoming journey: What was Jewish life in Europe before the war? Why did the Holocaust occur? Who was responsible for perpetrating it? How did the Jewish people respond? What was the role of the youth movements, including our movement Dror, in the ghetto rebellions? What is our role in remembering the Holocaust and shaping its legacy?

The seminar took place at the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum on Kibbutz Lochmei Hagitaot. Established by the survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the museum tells the story of the Holocaust and the uprisings in exhibits designed for groups and group discussion. You can read more about the museum and it's mission here. In addition to exploring the exhibits, the chanichim also read plays and poetry about the Holocaust, watched a movie about the Hitler Youth, and learned more about the journey itself.

One of the unique aspects of Habonim Dror's Journey to Poland is the chanichim's chance to shape different parts of the journey. The Workshoppers each take on planning one tekkes (memorial ceremony) along the journey. We will be having tekkesim at Auschwitz, Treblinka, Lupochova, and Majdanek and the closing tekkes of the trip at the Rappaport Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto. The Workshoppers have also split into groups to research a topic that interests them, and to prepare a 5 minute hadracha (lesson/presentation) that their guide will fit into a relevant point in the trip.

Look for an email with a detailed outline of the trip from Noah later this week!

Josh, one of the Poland guides. The Workshoppers are split into two groups for Poland.

Acting out scenes from the play "Ghetto" by Yehoshua Sobel.

Enjoying some Acco humus for a lunch break. 

World Veida

After a couple of false starts due to the weather, the workshoppers eventually made it to World Veida late in the afternoon on Friday the 20th. Although it probably seems like a joke compared to what's happening in the US right now, it was more than enough snow for Israel.

Leadership from around the world the morning before the Workshoppers arrived. 

This year was the 8th Veida Olamit (World Council) of Habonim Dror Olami. The Veida is the decision making body of Habonim Dror, and a chance for the Workshoppers, along with participants from Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, to shape the ideology and future of Habonim Dror Olami. Veida convenes once every four years, and this year the participants voted on ten different proposals. The workshoppers themselves were active in shaping one of the proposals, relating to the centrality of equality in our educational programming. (Their proposal passed unanimously!) 

Getting a chance to reunite with Sarah Zebovitz, HDNA Mazkira, over Shabbat. 

The Veida also included a Saturday evening celebration of Habonim, with guests from the Jewish Agency, the JNF, the World Zionist Union and olim from Habonim Dror. The choir of Hanoar Haoved, our sister youth movement, performed, as well as a Brazilian samba band. 

In serious debate over the proposals!

Singing Hatikvah altogether before the voting. 

All the gap-year participants from Habonim Dror around the world.

Kaveret Pictures and Upcoming Events

Next week, the Workshoppers will be very busy! Feb 15-17, we will be at Kibbutz Lochmei Hagitaot, for the second Poland preparation seminar. The seminar will take place in the museum, established by the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and will focus on building a shared level of knowledge about the lead up and events of World War II and the Holocaust. On Friday the 20th, they will head to World Veida to meet their counterparts from South America, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Europe. There will be over 150 participants, debating about the future of Habonim Dror and voting on resolutions. Check back for updates about the seminar and veida!

Weekly Schedule

Kaveret is well under way, and the Workshoppers have begun settling into messima. Each week, they head to messima Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Mondays, they have Yom Kvutza with their Idani and Phia, where they continue with the learning, group processing and social activities that they started on Boneh. On Thursdays, they have Yom Kaveret with their Kaveret Rakazim, Jo, Reut and Zev. Yom Kaveret is made up of modules focusing on different aspects of Israeli society, in order to complement and explore what they are experiencing in messima and living in Rishon Letzion. They will also be going on siyurim (tours). Those of them that choose are also continuing with weekly Hebrew classes. 

Reflections from Ofek

When I was little, my stepdad would tell me stories about his time on kibbutz. He would tell me about rising with the sun to work in the fields or in the reffet with the cows. I grew up with this image of labour that was romantic and beautiful. As I grew up and started going to machaneh, I began learning about the chalutzim. I began to gain more of an understanding of what it meant to say that this movement was progressive labour Zionist. When I was preparing for workshop, I would never have pictured doing something like working in the mataim. I got excited for avodah on Ein dor only to realize that avodah meant waking up at 8:30 to fold laundry, not that it wasn't a good experience. So when I heard that this was one of the options for ofek I felt excited. I was finally going to understand the stories from my childhood and hopefully connect to the movement in new ways. It has definitely lived up to my expectations. From this experience I've gained a new sense of what it means to whipe sweat from your brow after a hard day work. But it's also been about the end of the day, when we are all hanging out together. That has been so extremely special to me. I hope this program will be continued for future workshops. I believe everyone finds a different way of connecting and each of the ways are important and valuable lessons for life. I can't wait to share this with my parents, my chanichim, and my kvutzah.

-Maya Asulin, Kibbutz Ravid Ofek Track

Kaveret Messima

My apologies for the delayed postings. Please check back later this week for more posts finishing off events from December, but for now let's catch up with the Workshoppers at 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 in partnerships with Hanoar Haoved v'Halomed, our sister movement in Israel, and with different municipalities. Today, we are active in Rehovot, 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.

Tel Aviv Merkaz - Ari, Johanna, Nora and Rayna are working with chanichim that live in Central Tel Aviv. They work at schools in the morning, running fun, educational activities and teaching English. In the afternoon they are madrichim in the Hanoar Haoved veHalomed ken, leading their own group of chanichim and helping out other madrichim as well.

Tel Aviv Hadorban - Ilani, McKayla, Naomi and Shira are involved with kids from the South Tel Aviv neighborhood, typically from a lower economic backgrounds. South Tel Aviv is a mixed neighbourhood, and mnay of their chanichim are not Jewish and are children of refugees that fled to Israel. They are madrichim in the ken and work with the other madrichim to lead several different groups of chanichim.

Yafo - Isaiah, Erin, Maya, Tom, Ariana and Kaela are involved in educational projects in Yafo. In the mornings they work in the English projects and classes of an Arab middle school/high school in Yafo. After school, they split to two different locations. One group works in the nearby Hanoar Haoved veHalomed ken leading a group of mixed Arab-Israel and Jewish-Israeli chanichim. The other group goes to the Kiyum Meshutaf Ken to work with Arab-Israeli chanichim only, running an English program and other educational activities.

Havatzelet (Rehovot) - Netanya, Frenchie, Elana and Jack are working with chanichim from Chavatzelet, a neighborhood in Rehovot. They work with kids in schools in the morning, both in English classes and in other educational activities. In the afternoon they are madrichim at the Hanoar Haoved veHalomed ken, where they are responsible for a kvutzah of chanichim and help other madrichim with their chanichim as well.

BAMA in Rishon - Shosh, Cliel, Emilia, Jake and Mia are working in the city of Rishon Letzion itself. In the mornings they help kids in school with their English classes and homework. In the afternoon they are madrichim at the Bayit Lemadah v'Emdah (House of Science and Stance) in Rishon Letzion, an after-school program that offers younger kids a place learn and grow through experiential education and fun activities. The kids that attend this program are generally between the ages of 8 and 12, and come from a lower socio-economic background. The BAMA is part of a network of after-school centers supported by local municipalities that provide a safe, educational place for children to get a snack and help with their homework.

Bat Yam - Leah, Eli, Patty, Tali, and Ronnie are assisting in a school in Bat Yam, made up largely of children of Russian immigrants from a lower socioeconomic background. The Workshoppers come to the schools to bring educational activities and English programming to the students, and invite them to the afternoon activities in the ken. In the Hanoar Haoved ve'Halomed ken in the afternoon they lead with other madrichim and bring the kids interactive and fun activities, and help them form a social group of their own.