Poland

The HDUK shnatties and HDNA workshoppers outside of Grochov, a training farm in Warsaw for members of Dror, in the 1930's and 40's.
As everyone is aware, we have all returned safely from our Poland journey, after surviving the extremely cold temperatures! Everyone is currently on chofesh - winter break - and are due to return to the program on January 3rd. We will post in the coming days a wider update.

The final week of Boneh certainly finished with a bang, with busy pre-Poland preparations taking place all week. The seminars focused on sikkum (conclusion) of the Jewish History course the shnatties have been participating in throughout Boneh. Shnatties were challenged to think about their Jewishness, and understand that just as we have been influenced by history and decisions made throughout, we in turn have a role as the makers of history and a duty to create in a positive and educationally based manner.

The excursion during this week was to the Palmach museum, a very unique and interesting museum in Tel Aviv which looks at the elite strike force of the Hagana and its critical role in securing Israel's independence. This was a great way to finish the siyurim on Boneh.

There were 2 chavura sessions during the week, where mixed groups of shnatties and workshoppers from North America prepared processing and concluding peulot for the Boneh period.

On Thursday afternoon a final tekes (ceremony) was held where each kvutsa made a presentation and the madrichim/rakazim (coordinators) also said a few words. That night a lovely barbeque dinner was organised which really turned into a feast!! Most impressive were the delicious cakes at the end.

Friday and Saturday have been filled with cleaning and packing. Tonight the shnatties have organised having havdalah and a musicale (musical skits), before setting off for the airport in the early morning hours.

If you have questions while we are away, please contact the HDUK offices. Otherwise, until next week...

Hi everyone,
This is the final week of the boneh segment of shnat. Currently, the shnatties are on their way back to Netiv HaLamed Hey from their final pre-Poland seminar. The seminar was held both at the Shlomi youth hostel and the Ghetto Fighters Museum on Kibbutz Lochamei HaGetaot. It was a very intense seminar which covered a lot of historical background to the Shoah, and introduced a lot of the dilemmas faced including our relationship and duty as youth movement members, to the atrocities that took place. The museum was fairly empty for most of our time there, so we were able to go through exhibitions in depth, and also sit and have discussions throughout the museum. We also watched a fascinating documentary "Confessions of a Hitler Youth."
Last week, the subject of the seminars was modern Israeli society, from roughly the time of Independence (1948) to the Camp David Summit in 1977. A whole slew of information was covered - the Declaration of Independence and the Law of Return, and the basic situation in Israel during the 50's and 60's (mass immigration and subsequent absorption; beginnings of tensions between Sepharadim and Ashkenazim; etc) and the main wars fought in Israel - Independence; Sinai Campaign; 6 day war and the Yom Kippur War. While there is still a lot of more modern Israeli history to come, this will be mainly covered in classes during the Kaveret portion of the program.
The siyur (excursion) last week was to Mt Herzl and Givat Hatachmoshet (Ammunition Hill) in Jerusalem. Mt Herzl is the military cemetery in Jerusalem, and largest in Israel. It is the burial site of many great Israeli leaders, as well as thousands of soldiers and policemen. Ammunition Hill is a site near Mt Scopus, where one of the bloodiest and most difficult battles of the 6-Day war took place. Today, the site serves as a memorial to all those who fell in battle in the 6-Day War.
This week ahead is looking very hectic with Boneh sikkumim (concluding peulot) and a few chavura groups, together with the final hebrew classes, a siyur to the Palmach museum, the general cleanup and the Poland preparations. If for some reason you did not receive the Poland information via email, please contact the HDUK offices. I will post at least one more blog update this week before we depart for Poland. Until then...

Hi everyone,

Just a short update on the rest of this weeks activities. As mentioned before, the seminar theme was partnership through the years of the British Mandate period in Palestine. The various aspects looked at included The Arab Riots of 1929 and 1936-1939; the British Commissions and White Papers in 1937 and 1939; limitations placed on Jewish Immigration; the resulting illegal immigration (Aliya Bet and the “Bricha”); as well as the various Jewish defence forces of the Hagana, Lechi and Etzel and their merging to create the IDF, together with the many dilemmas faced by the fledging state such as the King David Hotel Bombing and the Altalena.

On Tuesday night, the chavura group ran a peula on the King David Hotel Bombing. On Wednesday night, the participants on Habo U (a program for Habo madrichim in partnership with Haifa University) ran programming for all the Boneh participants. On Wednesday morning, the shnatties picked Butternut Squash and Oranges with Table To Table in Rehovot.

Today the shnatties had a tour of the Atlit illegal immigration camp which was the detention centre set up by the British to contain all the illegal immigrants coming over mainly by ships from Europe from 1939-1948. It was a very interesting parallel experience, and the tour involved seeing the physical barracks and disinfection rooms combined with high tech audiovisual shows, telling the stories of some of the immigrants or the volunteers who were helping on the boats. It is a very special date, as today 60 years ago was when the United Nations had the partition vote which was the precursor to the establishment and Declaration of Independence in Israel. This led to the 2^nd part of the excursion, which was to the Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, where the 1^st mayor of Tel Aviv Meri Dizengoff lived and where the Independence was declared. The tour included a short audiovisual presentation, listening to parts of the actual UN vote and the actual declaration, together with more background and anecdotal stories from this very important event in history. Currently the shnatties are having their weekly processing with madrichim, and this weekend they have their final free weekend until the winter chofesh period.

In the next few days, an itinerary and contact details will be sent to families via email regarding the journey to Poland in approximately 2 weeks.

Shabbat Shalom

Hi everyone,
To start off backwards, this afternoon the shnatties have been informed officially that their Kaveret location will be Holon.
Last week I neglected to mention that the guest speakers were from the Parents Circle - Families Forum (www.theparentscircle.com). The Parents Circle is a grassroots forum of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families which meets and promotes reconciliation. The talk was fascinating and very touching to hear personal stories of parents who have lost their children.
On Wednesday, the excursion was to the Museum of the First Aliya in Zichron Yaacov. The museum has recently been renovated and has many short videos throughout, describing the hardships of a family who left Rumania to fulfill their Zionist Dream in the 1880's. It was a very interesting tour and complimented the seminars nicely. We were also lucky to be in Zichron, which for a few days turned into the rainiest place in Israel, and we were witness to the most immense downpour!
The seminars looked at different stories of the 2nd and 3rd Aliya, and events which were taking place in Israel at the time, such as the birth of kibbutzim and the foundations of the State of Israel; together with the story of the beginning of the Youth Movements worldwide – and specifically Habonim in the UK and North America.
Over Friday and Saturday, the first Pre-Poland Journey Preparation Seminar took place. The seminar was an introductory one, and highlights include the "Shteitel" Night on Friday, where everyone was given a character for the shteitel wedding, and we watched Fiddler on the Roof while eating some traditional Kugel. Also, the Family Tree Activity, in which many shnatties ended up on the phone with their parents finding out about their family history, and sharing the most interesting thing that they discovered from their past (and from all accounts there were some very surprising things to be found!).
This weeks seminar theme is Partnership looking specifically at the British Mandate Period in Palestine, leading up to the Establishment of the State of Israel. On Sunday the guest speakers were Rabbi's for Human Rights (www.rhr.israel.net) who are a fascinating group of Rabbi's who consider themselves to be the rabbinical voice of conscious in Israel, focusing on human rights from a Jewish standpoint. Hadracha (leadership) looked Counseling and Duty of. The excursion on Thursday is to both the Illegal Immigrants Camp in Atlit, and the Hall of Independence in Tel Aviv. This weekend is a free weekend.

Hi guys!
Last week the Shnatties enjoyed an excellent tiyul in the South of Israel. On Monday, they had a short hike in British Park, situated in the Ella Valley, just near Netiv HaLamed Hey. This gave them a chance to enjoy the beautiful surroundings where they have been situated in for the first portion of the program. Lunch was eaten down at Golda (Meir) Park, just south of BeerSheva, before continuing further south to Mitspe Ramon youth hostel. Debs and Dan C from the movement work tzevet, are currently in Israel for a seminar, and joined the shnatties for the afternoon. Mitspe Ramon overlooks the Ramon crater, which is the largest of the 3 craters in the Negev desert. That night a fun activity involving stargazing was run, and everyone experienced the true depths of cold that the desert night provides!!!
The next day, the hiking was to Saharonim Spring, the lowest point of the Crater, which is also the only water source, and also contains remains of the ancient "spice trail" - a trade route used by the Nabateans some thousands of years ago. Afterwards, the shnatties travelled down to the Eilat youth hostel where they spent the next 2 nights. That night they had an exciting scavenger hunt around Eilat, where they had to collect ingredients to help concoct a potion in order to save Amir, one of the HDNA madrichim!
On Wednesday, the hardest hike of the tiyul was to the top of Mt Shlomo. It was a triumphant climb, where from the very top you can see Egypt (Sinai), Jordan and Saudia Arabia - the only known spot in Israel where you can see 4 countries (including Israel of course!). It was a long and hard hike, and that evening the shnatties had a free night to chill out around Eilat.
Thursday morning was spent at the beautiful Eilat beaches, before travelling back to Netivaleh. Overall a great time was had by all, and it was a wonderful and rejuvenating break to the Boneh routine.The weekend was a free weekend for all, and Boneh resumed classes yesterday.
This weeks seminar theme is on the 2nd and 3rd Aliyot to Israel, where the stories of the chalutzim (pioneers) of the State of Israel will be explored in depth. On Sunday the 3 Aleph level Hebrew classes had an excursion to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem. Tomorrow, an excursion to Zichron Yaacov will take place. Thursday is a free day with no programming, as there is the first intensive pre-Poland preparation seminar taking place on Netivaleh over Friday and Saturday.

Hi everyone,
This past week has been a fairly standard one on Boneh, with the seminar theme focusing on Modern Enlightenment and the Realm of Choice. The seminars are moving into much more modern times, and hopefully much of the background the shnatties have been looking at over the past month has laid a good foundation for these seminars and themes.

Through looking at the French & Russian Revolutions, the Bund, the Pale of Settlement, and the story of Moses Mendelsohn, the seminars sought to explain how emancipation led to the active participation of Jews in civil society across Europe. As a result, many Jews who earlier were practically locked out of the rest of society, turned to Jewish political movements (ie Zionism), or revolutionary movements or were able to emigrate to countries of better opportunities.

The chavura group this week had the theme of the Russian Revolution, and used an interesting method of a somewhat dodgeball-style activity. This week the shnatties picked Jerusalem Artichokes with Table to Table. Hadracha class this week looked at a basic introduction to Youth Psychology and general Youth Development.

Today the siyur (excursion) was to the settlement of Gedera (just south of Rehovot), to the museum on the history of Gedera and the Biluim. The Biluim, being the pioneers from Bilu - the first activist Zionist movement. The siyur comprised of both a tour in the museum, but also in the outdoor, surrounding buildings of the settlement. This siyur was an introduction to the upcoming seminar which moves into 1st, 2nd and 3rd Aliya and the Modern Zionist era.

Next week (aside from Sunday which is a regular day), the shnatties will be on a 4 day hiking trip, mainly in the south of Israel. More information on this will follow in the next few days.

Hi again,
This week on Boneh the focus was on the period that lasts from the destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem, to the beginning of the Emancipation. This is a very large period of time, most of which is commonly referred to as the Great Exile, and it marks the beginnings of the Diaspora.
On Sunday, a giant board game was played which aimed to give all the shnatties an overview of what was going on with the Jewish Nation throughout the Exile period; to understand and examine the decisions made by Jews to ensure their survival; and to start thinking about the complexities of survival in the face of persecution. A look was taken at the transition from Beit Hamikdash (the Temple) to the formation of the Synagogue in the Diaspora. A further look was taken at the concept of Messiah, and how that has shaped the Jewish people throughout the exile period.
On Tuesday, an in-depth look at Spanish Jewry started with the viewing of a video on Torquemada, the chief inquisitor in Spain. This was followed by a long discussion and overview of the Golden Age of Spain, followed by the Inquisition and subsequent Expulsion. Many fascinating facts were discovered throughout the discussion, as it was a topic that was new to many of the shnatties. That evening, a chavura group ran a peula on the Spanish Inquisition, which involved a lot of candy and chocolates, and some very amusing skits!
The siyur this week was to the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv, which focuses on the question of how Judaism was able to persevere throughout such a lengthy period in Exile. The highlight was definitely the Synagogue displays where many synagogues from around the world from different time frames have been recreated in miniature. Afterwards, we traveled to Yavne, which is where the spiritual centre for Jews was created by Yochanan Ben Zakkai, which entirely shaped the way we look at Judaism up until today. All that remains of the original settlement which stretched back to Biblical Times is a small hill (tel) which is fairly dilapidated, but has great views of the area. We then had a short walk through the town to the Synagogue where Rabban Gamliel is considered to be buried. There we had a discussion focusing particularly on the Pesach Hagaddah and the influence Gamliel had in its creation.
This week, the shnatties picked Beetroots at Kvutsat Shiller, a Kibbutz near Rehovot, with the charitable organisation Table To Table, which aims to collect fresh and healthy food for distribution to those in need. (More information at www.tabletotable.org.il )
This Friday & Saturday is a weekend seminar focusing on the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin z"l, together with all Habonim Dror Long Term Program Participants. The seminar will finish with the annual Rabin memorial ceremony, held at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv.
Shabbat Shalom

Hi again

My apologies for the delay in updating the blog, we were experiencing some technical difficulties which hopefully will not happen again!!

To give a short recap of the past few weeks… On Thursday (18^th) the excursion was to the Museum on the Seam in Jerusalem. Museum on the Seam is a unique museum in Israel, displaying contemporary art that deals with different aspects of the socio-political reality. It is also called the Coexistence Museum as most of the material it deals with, calls for listening and discussion, for accepting the other and those different from us and respect. After the museum, the shnatties had processing time with their madrichim, before departing for a free weekend.

Also last week was the first chavura session, which is the peer-led sessions where the shnatties together with the North American participants, are split into smaller groups with themes. Each group presents their peula on Tuesday nights, and last weeks was on the Story of Job.

This past week the seminar theme was "Sovereignty" and covered the period of time between the Egyptian exodus and the Roman exile (the Temple Periods up until the destruction of the 2^nd temple in Jerusalem). This was a chance to explore a period of time where the Israelites were primarily living “at home” in (ancient) Israel.

The seminars explored the differences between Priests and Prophets, Leadership, Kings and Civil Society (with a focus on King Solomon’s reign), Hellenism vs Judaism (To what extent did the Jews (both their leaders and the masses) embrace the surrounding values and culture and assimilate, and to what extent did they rebel and attempt to keep their own values intact?) and also different examples of Jews revolting (the Macabees & the story of Chanuka, Masada & the revolt against the Romans, Bar-Kochva)

The Excursion on Thursday was to Horbat Midras, which are also called the Bar Kochba caves. These caves were considered an ideological strongpoint, but were also considered very impoverished (as comparable to the nearby Tel Maresha caves which were considered to be very wealthy, but lacking in Jewish symbols), and were a vital link in Jewish defence and rebellion. Some of the walking involved squeezing through small cave openings, which proved a bit too claustrophobic for some of the shnatties! Afterwards, the siyur continued to the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem. The museum covers the history of the city of Jerusalem across the past 4000 years, focusing on the main events of each period. Afterwards, the shnatties had processing with their madrichim in Jerusalem.

Also this past week the shnatties looked at Communication, Delegation and Motivation in the weekly Hadracha class. The peula involved each kvutsa making a newspaper within a certain time limit, and various problem solving ideas.

The chavura group for this week led a program surrounding the birth of Christianity, using a very unique method of TV and commercial slots in the moadon.

The upcoming week is jam packed, with a Solidarity Event on Sunday night for the Kidnapped Soldiers; and seminars on the theme of Survival and Preservation, looking at the time period of the Exile until Emancipation, with an excursion to the Diaspora Museum and Yavne; together with all the usual Boneh activities.

Shabbat Shalom

Hi again,
Last Wednesday morning the shnatties worked on Kibbutz Netiv HaLamedHey in various anafim (branches) throughout the kibbutz. Afterwards, they had Hebrew classes on the Kibbutz. Last Thursday, the excursion was to Neot Kedumim, a biblical landscape reserve, situated near Ben Shemen. Neot Kedumim has recreated the physical setting of the Bible, in an attempt to bring the Bible and its commentaries to life. The excursi0n there was in order to get a more visual and hands on feel for the stories which the shnatties are reading.
This weeks seminar theme was the Exodus, continuing on in the story, and seminars were held on Sunday and Monday. The shnatties revisited the concept of "Freedom To and Freedom From", looked at the Ten Plagues and devised modern day plagues in society, Nachshon - someone who wasn't afraid to take a leap of faith, and the Ten Commandments as a possible fundamental structure which is needed to create a model society. On Monday afternoon, the shnatties had Hadracha class, and discussed concepts crucial to working as a tzevet (team).
This week has Yom Kvutsa on Tuesday, avoda and ivrit on Wednesday and an excursion to Museum on the Seam in Jerusalem on Thursday.

This past week, the theme on Boneh has been the introduction to the Tanach. On Sunday, the shnatties had Hebrew class in the morning and then in the afternoon looked at stories of Creation and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, after a general Biblical Overview. The 1st two chapters of Genesis were looked at from a feminist perspective and the story of the Garden of Eden was looked at from a somewhat obscure 17th century Socialist perspective of Diggers and Levellers which provided a very interesting discussion for all.
On Monday, the shnatties had Hadracha class in the morning where different leadership theories and methods were discussed in a conventional Leadership vs Management dynamic, together with a more relevant Habonim Dror hadracha context. This was followed by Yom Kvutsa.
Most of today was in seminar sessions. In the morning, there was a session on Noah, and a session looking at the Tower of Babel. After recapping the story of Noah and the great flood, we related to the issues of breakdowns in society and the corruption which exists in our lives. The Tower of Babel story, a rather bizarre addition in the middle of the chapter, looks at communication and language and the scattering of peoples across the globe - we used this to talk about common language in our kvutsa, movement and lives. In the afternoon we summarized the week and looked at Joseph and Dreams, using our own dreams as a trigger to see how well we can intepret them! In the late afternoon, the chavura planning groups split up to begin planning their activties. Chavura is an opportunity for the shnatties to plan in mixed groups, evening programming on topics such as The Story of Job, the Russian Revolution, The King David Hotel Bombing and Chanuka.
Tomorrow all the shnatties will be in various work placements on Kibbutz Netiv haLamedHey, followed by Hebrew classes in the afternoon.

Yam L Yam

Hi all,
The shnatties started tiyul early last Sunday 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 all around the world - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America, Brazil, Argetina and Uruguay. Altogether, there were approximately 200 people participating in this years tiyul.
On Sunday we hiked part of the Cziv trail, which is near Montfort and Goren Park. The hike ended with the shnatties arriving to the campsite by foot, just in time for sunset and to set up the campsite. The hike was relatively short (4 hours) but had a very steep incline at the end, which proved very challenging for most of the shnatties!!
On Monday we 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. Most of the group then continued down Meron, along towards our campground for the night, Nachal Amud. The Nachal Amud camping ground 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. Camping right next to us, were 400+ high school chanichim from Hanoar HaOved V'Lomed, our Israeli sister movement!
On Tuesday the shnatties set off to hike the Upper Nachal Amud trail, but unfortunately, about 45 minutes into the hike, we got a weather update from our cheder matzav (situation room) of the Moked Teva (Nature Hotline) which, due to a heat wave warning, did not let us continue the length of Nachal Amud. Instead, the shnatties spent some time in the Schia Pools, small pools of water along the track, rested and then proceeded to encourage everyone else to play a giant game of WAA! After lunch, we were allowed to continue on another 1.5 miles/2 km and then along a different track towards Sfat, which once again had a very steep incline (anyone familiar with Sfat 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 sumptous feast for dinner (With vegetarian options of eggplant and tomato stew provided of course!)
On Wednesday, we got up our earliest yet - 5am! - in order to pack up the campsite and after a short bus ride near to Kibbutz Hukuk, start the final leg of the hike, primarily through banana fields, and all the way to the beach at Kibbutz Ginosar. 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!! After that everyone rejoiced in some swimming time and the chance to have a shower finally, before boarding buses back to their destinations for the Simchat Torah chag.
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 at the beginning of November.
This upcoming week, the shnatties return to the usual Boneh schedule. This weeks seminar theme is an Introduction to the Tanach - looking at stories and interpretations from Creation, Noah, Abraham and the founding fathers and mothers.

Hi again. As mentioned before, our annual Yam L'Yam (Sea to sea) hike starts tomorrow and I wanted to take this opportunity to give you some more information.We set off early in the morning, and will meet all the other Habonim Dror long-term program participants at Achziv beach, which is just north of Nahariya, on the Meditteranean Coast. There are participants from all around the world - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America, Brazil, Argetina and Uruguay - and this is the first formal opportunity the shnatties have to meet everyone.
On Sunday the plan is to hike one of a few trails just near to Achziv - Betzet, Sheref or Cziv(which will only be confirmed in the morning, depending on the weather) and we will be sleeping in Goren Park, a JNF reserve just next to Kibbutz Goren. We sleep outside under the stars, although tents will be available for those who wish.
On Monday we will hike from the moshav of Elkosh, up along Mt Meron and around the summit. That night we will sleep in the Nachal Amud Camping Ground, which is located just near the Meron moshav.
On Tuesday we will hike the Upper Nachal Amud trail, and will return by bus to the same camping ground as the previous night.On Wednesday we will hike either the Lower Amud trail, or a shorter hike through banana fields (again, depending on possible weather restrictions) and finish at Kibbutz Ginosar, which is located on the shores of the Kinneret lake.
I understand some of these places must sound very foreign, but feel free to take a look through any of the many mapping facilities available on the internet (eyeonisrael.com maps 2 and 3 cover all the area we are hiking).
Mobile phone reception during parts of the hike are very limited, but should you have any urgent concerns, please contact Aimee, Debs or Yahal in the HDUK offices.
Wishing everyone a Shavua Tov!

Hi all
This past week was action packed on Boneh! This weeks theme looked at Judaism and the relationship between the monothiestic religions. A particular focus was on Jerusalem, given the importance of the city for all the religions - and specifically the shnatties looked at the History of Jerusalem, the Book of Chronicles, the different conquests that took place over the city, David and Solomon and Solomon's building of the Temple, and Jesus' pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On Tuesday the shnatties excursion was to the Old City of Jerusalem, with a tour of the Southern Excavations and the Davidson centre. The centre is part of the Jerusalem Archaelogical Park and offered the shnatties an exhibition of archaeological objects, a real time virtual reality reconstruction of the Herodian Temple, and a hugh definition video of a Jewish pilgrimage to Second Temple period Jerusalem. There is archaeological digs continuing at the moment, but the exhibition allows you to see an example of a street in the 1st century, and ancient mikveh (ritual bath) and various other spots of interest which have been uncovered in the digs.
On Wednesday, the shnatties celebrated Succot together with the North American participants with an enormous Succot extravaganza. The morning started with a lovely Succot performance, by some of the madrichim. Afterwards, everyone was divided into small groups and had various tasks to complete such as a answering a multiple choice quiz, a Succot-themed music quiz, and a Succah building competition. We finished off by learning some Succot songs.
Early on Sunday morning, we depart for the Yam l'Yam (Sea to sea) Hike. More details will be posted shortly.
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

The first full week of Boneh was completed last week - it was fairly busy, but the shnatties are adjusting to the routine nicely. All rooms have been sorted, and the mass of luggage/stuff that was brought with them is slowly finding its home.
Sunday and Tuesday last week were both seminar days, looking at a broad introduction to Judaism. Many new and interesting themes were looked at by everyone. Thursday was an excursion to the Israel Musuem in Jerusalem, where they looked at the model of the 2nd Temple and watched a short movie that illustrated life during that period in Jewish history. They also went to the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept, and then they had some free time to visit exhibits of their choosing. Hebrew classes also started last week, first with a placement test, and then with the first class on Wednesday. Wednesday also saw the first Avoda rotation on kibbutz, where all the shnatties were placed in various working positions (dining room, kitchen, garden, laundry etc).
This week has a slightly different schedule due to the Succot chag starting on Wednesday afternoon. This weeks seminar theme is Monotheistic Religions, and includes an excursion on Tuesday to various sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. Wednesday will be a combined Succot celebration with the Habonim Dror North America participants, also on Boneh. The shnatties will also start their Hadracha course, which essentially looks at being a madrich, and all aspects related to that.

Chag Sameach

Hi All

The orientation tiyul has now finished, and all shnatties are either at their destinations for the chag, or on the way.The tiyul by all accounts was a fantastic and fun experience where the shnatties spent a lot of time together, and also with the Habonim Dror North American group. The hikes were challenging, but also rewarding in many senses.

On Monday, the group did the Ein Ovdat track, Tuesday the gorgeous Nachal Arugot (overlooking the Dead Sea) and then spent a few hours floating in the Dead Sea and stretching their muscles. This morning, they did a short hike of Nachal David (also overlooking the Dead Sea) before departing the area. [I will try to put up a few pics later in the day]
The chofesh period lasts until Sunday morning, upon where the shnatties will have their Ivrit tests, to place them in different levels, and start their first Boneh seminar - Introduction to Judaism!
Wishing you and your families a Shana Tova,
Vered and the whole Shnat tzevet!

Boneh kicks off!

Hi all
After a very busy orientation period, the shnatties arrived on Kibbutz Netiv HaLamed Hey today, to start the Boneh portion of the year.
The past few days saw the shnatties at Beit Gesher in Jerusalem, undergoing general orientation peulot as an introduction to Israel/Israeli culture, and to the year ahead. Topics discussed included the definition of the word "Hachshara" (literally in Hebrew translates to "training" but has connotations of preparations for youth movement leadership), the equality of human value, wiping away prior stigmas and starting discussions on responsibility for the year ahead.
A highlight (or possible lowlight!), was watching the Israel v England football match, together with the HDUK movement workers, who are currently in Israel on a seminar.
Today, the Boneh portion started, with some formal and informal gibush (bonding/getting to know you activities) with the Habonim Dror North American groups, who are also present on Netivaleh for Boneh. We also had a short tour of the kibbutz (as scene above), and some basic orientation information was gone over. The rest of the evening was time to prepare for tiyul tomorrow, and relax a bit!
Tomorrow the shnatties are on tiyul in the Sde Boker/Judean desert region. The plan is for them to set off relatively early on Monday morning, and hike in the Ein Ovdat region, and then sleep in a camping ground next to Midreshet Sde Boker - called Chan HaShayarot. On Tuesday, they will hike in the beautiful Dead Sea area, followed by some swim/floating time in the Dead Sea, and spend the night at the Masada youth hostel. On Wednesday they will either have a short hike, or possibly more Dead Sea time, depending on how Tuesday pans out! The buses will then do a drop off for the Rosh Hashana chag weekend.
Hoping everyone is well,
Vered

Arrival!!

The shnatties landed happily and safely early this morning!!!
They were greeted by their madrichim and also their lovely movement workers and Shaliach, who made them an awesome welcome sign.
They are currently checking into the hostel in Jerusalem and have the morning to rest.
Posted here are some photos from arrival (as you can see the sun is starting to rise, and everyone is looking quite tired and bleary eyed...!)

Last minute details..

Hi all,
As your arrival is very near, I just wanted to update you on a few last details.
Your mobile phones from Israelphones will be delivered to the group at lunchtime on Thursday. As of yet I believe the allocated numbers are not available, but they should be on the day prior to departure.
Please note that during orientation and the tiyul (hike) following, there will be very little to no internet access. For those calling from the UK - mobile phones are turned off during activities so please do not be alarmed if you are having trouble reaching your son/daughter/family member.
Of course if there are any concerns, please feel free to contact staff.
See you all in Israel bright and early on Thursday morning!!
(Please look out for me in the arrivals hall and introduce yourselves! I will be wearing a chultza..)
See you then,
Vered

Meet the tzevet !

Meet the shnat/workshop tzevet for 2007-8, hard at work preparing peulot (and enjoying the great weather!)

Back (from left) - Ilan (UK madrich); Itamar & Amir (North American madrichim)
Front (from left) - Ruth & Lihi (North American madrichim); Nitzan (UK madricha)

See you guys soon!!

Arrival Details...

Hi everyone!

As your arrival on Shnat approaches, I would like to take this opportunity to let you know a few details.

Upon arrival in Israel, shnatties should look out for me (in a chultza) in the baggage collection area (it’s immediately after passport control). No one should leave the baggage area until we have done a count-off!

From the airport, we will proceed to Jerusalem, to the Beit Gesher hostel, which is situated just a few minutes walking distance from the Old City. We will situated in Beit Gesher for all of orientation, from arrival through to Sunday the 9th September.

During this time workshop will be undergoing general orientation to Shnat mainly based as peulot with your madrichim, and sichot (discussions) with your shnat kvutsa.

On Sunday 9th, we will depart for Netiv HaLamed Hey - your new home for the next few months! On Monday the 10th is the first tiyul (hike) of the year, to the Judean Desert and Dead Sea area. The tiyul is for 2.5 days, until Erev Rosh Hashana on Wednesday the 12th. Please note that the Rosh Hashana holiday is chofesh (holiday) and all shnatties may use this time to visit family or friends. Alternatively, they are also welcome to stay on Netiv HaLamed Hey, and preparations will be made accordingly for them.

We advise you to pack in such a way that you can access clothes and other items for your first few weeks in an easy manner, until you have time to unpack properly.

A small reminder about your Israel-phones mobile phones - If you are yet to fax your order in, please do so promptly! If you require another copy of the form, please feel free to be in touch.

Lastly, check the blog for regular updates throughout the year (just like this one!).

See you very soon!

Vered & the Shnat tzevet in Israel

Welcome

Welcome to the Shnat 07-08 blog, where updates will be posted throughout the year!