The Shnat Program
The Habonim Dror Shnat program is an intensive 10 month education and leadership program in Israel.
It plays a central role in our movement and is perhaps our greatest source of strength. It is an opportunity for members of the movement to gain an incredible experience of and in Israel. Shnat is the ultimate Habonim Dror program, giving each participant the chance to live, experience and express the movement's ideology, and then return to their home country educated and inspired.
Habonim Dror - Who, Where and What?
Habonim Dror is the largest and strongest youth movement in Australia and has existed since 1940. Our core values are those of Socialist Zionism and Cultural Judaism, which we try to incorporate into all of our activities and actions. As a movement we are committed to strengthening our Jewish identity, a belief in the existence of a Jewish state in Israel and to concepts of equality, human rights and peace.
Israel Experience
A year in Israel offers the opportunity of experiencing the full calendar of events, both religious and national. Celebrating the Jewish festivals in Israel is both unique and dynamic exposing each participant to many different ways of expressing their religion. A great emphasis is placed on the interaction with Israeli society. This occurs through the learning of Hebrew, working together with Israelis in both city and kibbutz life, living with Israeli families and by working and socializing with Israeli youth.
Education in Israel
The major focus of our year program is education. Each component of the program is specifically designed to cater for a different educational theme. The educational content of the program is designed to focus on the many issues central to the Habonim Dror Ideology. A main component of this is Jewish life and Jewish youth of today. The program also encourages participants to question all that they see and to extend their knowledge by further exploring specific areas of interest. The participants are further taught to challenge their own thoughts and opinions, leaving the program with enough accessible material to further stimulate their own learning. The programs are designed to return the participants with an in depth knowledge of their own individual identity, and of the Jewish people and their state.
Leadership for the Future
The greatest achievement of Youth Movements is their ability to convert young participants into leaders of not only their movements, but of the community as a whole. The importance of the leadership program is not only to develop young leaders, but also to instill a sense of responsibility and self confidence in these potential leaders. Much of the program is directed toward the application of methods that one has learnt whilst in Israel. Year program participants also return to Australia with advanced skills in practical movement management. This will aid them in successfully running their movement, thus contributing to the Jewish community at large.
Personal Development
The Shnat program is situated at an ideal time in the life of a young individual. As the participants would have recently concluded their high school studies, they are completing one stage of their lives and about to embark upon another. The program allows the individuals to gain a great insight into themselves giving them a chance to discover independence, responsibility and an outlook on the future. The program requires the participants to be able to adapt to different situations and surroundings and, whilst living with a group for 10 months is challenging, it allows the individuals to learn about themselves and develop a tolerance for others.
Social Uniqueness of the Program
The most unique part of the Habonim Dror year program is the emphasis placed on the group experience. Not only are the individuals responsible for themselves, but they also have a great responsibility to the group. All elements of the program are compulsory, each experience playing a vital role in creating a strong group identity.
Shnat is based on the principle of living in a multi-layered socialist community, allowing the group to experience different types and scales of group living. The group will develop tools to live and work together and through this will create its own culture and norms and will have the opportunity to develop methods by which their collective and individual creative forces can be expressed.
This unique experience will expose the participants to many new challenges and they will acquire many group skills useful for their future. This intense group program will allow the participants to build meaningful and close relationships with each other.
The Program at a Glance [based on last year's program - subject to change from year to year]
AZYC Introduction To Israel Seminar
The first 3 days in Israel will be spent together with all Australian Zionist Youth Movements as an introduction to Israel and to the year ahead.
Orientation Seminar
This is a three day seminar where the group will enjoy their first few days as a Habonim Dror shnat group together in Israel. The seminar will be an introduction to the Habonim Dror Shnat year, allowing the group to meet the people who will be working with them throughout the year, go over the rules and regulations of the program and simply enjoy each other's company.
Machon
The Machon leMadrichei Chutz leAretz (Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad) is run by the Jewish
Agency and has been operating for over fifty five years as the uppermost Zionist youth leadership development program. The Machon was first established in 1946, and is located at Kiriyat Moriah in East Talpiot in Jerusalem. All Australian youth movements excluding Bnei Akiva participate in the Machon program, alongside (subject to each year) movements from countries such as New Zealand, South Africa,
Great Britain, Canada and South American countries.
The Machon has an intensive educational curriculum and adopts classroom style learning using the top educators in Israel. The Machon seeks to encourage its participants to deal with a wide range of subject matter, using a combination of techniques to do this, such as giving the participants some choice of electives.
Throughout each week there are specific sessions devoted to leadership training (hadracha), ulpan (Hebrew lessons), chavurot, personal project time and movement time. The comprehensive training program that is offered deals with theory, values and practical skills, exploring leadership styles, teamwork, group dynamics, personal example, running discussions, understanding young people and their development, counseling skills and so on. Participants are treated as a group during the program but individual development is monitored through a unique interaction with the teaching staff. The group is broken down into smaller units known as chavurot, which allows for the head of each chavura to create a closer relationship with a smaller number of participants. All of the staff is open and accessible; many of them coming from a youth movement background themselves.
Boneh
Boneh was created to offer a movement-focused program, which meets the high level educational goals of the movement, and therefore acts as a balanced alternative to Machon. The creation of an atmosphere based on Habonim Dror's ideology and culture lie at the core of this program. Boneh therefore, is founded on three major concepts -
- group building and cohesion
- the development of highly experienced, creative and dynamic madrichim,
- an intense educational experience which encompasses both Habo specific and general material.
A significant portion of time will be dedicated to fostering a strong sense of group community. Both the group madrichim and the Boneh participants will facilitate this process. Participants will become immersed in peer hadracha- in assuming leadership roles within the group- thus allowing participants to challenge themselves and to grow as individuals in new and innovative ways. This unique emphasis on individual and group responsibility aims to create resourceful compassionate and dynamic young adults and of course madrichim.
The educational rationale of the Boneh program is exceptional in that all study courses are taught by olim, many of whom are bogrim of Habonim Dror, thus providing a touch of personal inspiration to all learning experiences. Boneh participants will have an increased knowledge and understanding of: Jewish History, Israeli History, Hadracha, Socialist Zionism, Cultural Judaism, Israeli Society Today and Hebrew. All classes are interactive, mostly using classroom based discussions as well as 'learning in the field' or experiential learning. Each class will be held for no more than 14 people allowing each individual the opportunity to participate freely and comfortably as well as providing for regular peer group feedback.
Boneh participants will also have the opportunity to indulge in a number of regularly run chuggim (electives) thus providing the group with creative and experiential outlets. To further this notion of experiential learning participants will enjoy regular tiyulim (excursions/trips), both educational and recreational throughout Israel.
The advantage of a Habonm Dror specific program is that participants will complete the program with a greater understanding of the movement's history, ideology and connection with Israel. Importantly, participants will develop a deep appreciation for group living and the importance of community.
Kibbutz/Ulpan
The relationship between Habonim Dror and kibbutz has been a long and beautiful one. From the beginnings of our movement over 60 years ago, Habonim Dror has been creating, building, strengthening and volunteering on various kibbutzim across the country. Though having undergone many changes, kibbutzim have and continue to play an integral part in the State of Israel.
The Shnat group's time on kibbutz will be spent working as volunteers in a variety of jobs, again dependent on the kibbutz. Shnatties will also study hebrew as part of the Kibbutz Ulpan program. The work will instill a sense of responsibility in each participant and a sense of belonging and contribution to the kibbutz. The major features of kibbutz life are the diverse work styles, the unique community spirit, the cultural activities and the vibrant social scene. The participants will all have adopted families from the kibbutz so as to give them an opportunity to develop a more intimate relationship with members of the kibbutz.
Kibbutz is an excellent opportunity for the Shnat group to have some time away from the rest of the world, experience a different way of life and develop their relationships with one-another and with people on the kibbutz.
Poland
The history of the Jewish people, and Jewish education lie at the core of Habonim Dror, and as such as of 2004 shnat groups have had the privileged experience of travelling to Poland in order to better understand our nation's past. All participants will experience the week long journey through Poland led by highly trained bogrim. A focus of this journey is the importance of youth and most particularly, youth movements. There will be a number of both preparation and debriefing seminars.
History of Habonim Dror Seminar
This seminar will deal with the early and glorious history of Habonim Dror. It will focus on the pioneering roots of the movement in building new settlements and kibbutzim in Israel. The participants will visit Habonim Dror built kibbutzim such as Kfar Blum, Mevo Chama and others and meet bogrim of the movement who made aliyah. As well as this, the seminar will explore the changes seen in the movement over the past 50 years as well as the changes to kibbutzim and the kibbutz movement at large. Visits to privatised kibbutzim such as Kadarim and some alternative, urban-styled settlements like Kibbutz Tuval and Tamuz may be included in the Seminar.
This is an incredibly challenging seminar which demands the participants to consider and reconsider many of their own beliefs and ideals. The seminar will be an inspiring, identity building time for the participants to connect with the history of their movement, learn the incredible contribution that it has made to the establishment, building and continuation of the State of Israel.
Kaveret
Kaveret (literally meaning 'bee-hive') will take place in the fi nal three months of the program and will be situated in a development town such as Carmiel or Akko. The aim of this program is to give the Shnat group an urban, communal experience where they will be responsible for developing a fully functional household whilst living and working within society. This work will be through volunteer work placements in the community around them.
One day a week will be 'Yom Kvutsa' (group day) where the participants have an opportunity to deal with any issues and challenges that the group is facing, whether it be their style of communal living, kitchen roster or work placements. This will be facilitated by the full-time Madrich, with support from the Rakaz who will visit the group regularly. Kaveret will also be supplemented by various tiyulim, cultural activities in the local area and extended Habo based education facilitated by Habonim Dror.
This final stage provides an opportunity for the participants to practically use the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the program. By this point, the group will have developed a deep understanding of each other and be ready for this final stage of group development
AZYC and Habo Siccum Seminar
When the program reaches its conclusion it is important that the groups take part in some form of debriefing discussion. This is the time when the group recalls the positives and the negatives of the year spent in Israel. It is the perfect time for the group to look to their own future, discussing the best ways to actualise the vast amounts of knowledge and experience gained once they return to Australia.
For more information about Shnat, please contact us.
Alternatively, please visit the AZYC website.