HDCA Kennes 2024 in 2025

On a very cold weekend at the end of January 50 members of our Habonim Dror family gathered at the Pearlstone Retreat Center outside of Baltimore, MD. This year’s Kennes brought together the board chairs and board members, maapilimot and professional staff members of HDNA and the six machanot. Kennes provides the only opportunity for these cohorts of Habonim Dror supporters to connect in one space.

If you  weren’t able to be there, here are some highlights of the program.  Perhaps next year, you’ll join us!

After Shabbat dinner together, we opened Kennes with a fun and inspirational session with Pamela Rae Schuller focusing on Inclusion through comedy and storytelling.  We laughed together and learned a lot about telling our camp’s stories and making an inclusive environment for each and every one in our community.

We were privileged to have Dalia Krusner from JCamp 180 join us for two sessions. She worked with our EDs on Friday and then worked with the entire community on Saturday helping us understand how we can build a culture of philanthropy in a youth movement context and identify what resources we each have – sometimes without even realizing those resources exist!

In true machaneh fashion, we chose to join chugim based on our interests. The chugim focused on topics that impact all of our machanot. We generated ideas and learned from one another across our communities. Recommendations from each of our chugim include:

• Climate change – Adding a climate change subcommittee to the machaneh boards. Climate change subcommittee chairs should form a cohesive cohort to share ideas and collaborate.
• Marketing youth leadership – Need to consider how to market and explain the value of our youth leadership program to parents. Mechanisms could be alumni testimonials, creating a robust and accurate alumni database, podcasts, redoing the alumni survey that was published in 2013. Collaborative fundraising/grant writing for this is possible.
• Youth empowerment models – Making more connections between tzevet and board and between tzevet to year round staff. Structures should be shared between machanot.
• Development – Utilization of strong and well maintained databases and software. Discussions around the benefits of shared software and data technology can be held. Creation of a shared model of tzevet engagement in development.
• A restorative justice management approach to behavior issues – A google drive folder among chug members was created with policies and frameworks to share among machanot. This will become a standing vaad focusing on this into the future.
• Young alumni retention – Create young alumni events at machaneh, activate young aluni to support recruitment efforts, creation of learning cohorts at college campuses as the current kvutzah lemidah process is doing. Be sure to be mindful to balance purely social needs of people with avodah and pay attention to meeting people where they are.

Over the course of the rest of the weekend we learned about the world movement from Michael Hess (Mazkir of World Habonim Dror), focused on collaborative grant writing possibilities, learned about the New Jewish Narrative and the importance of voting for the Hatikvah slate in the upcoming World Zionist Congress election from Nomi Colton-Max, learned about Israel Education in the movement from Judah Altman (Mazkir of HDNA), got excited for the upcoming 75th anniversary celebrations for HDNA from Jared Matas, HDNA’s board chair, and heard from each of HDNA’s mazkirut members about their tafkidim.

Tired and inspired, we closed out Shabbat with a beautiful havdallah celebration led by the maapilimot of Machaneh Gilboa.

On Sunday morning we regathered to share new ideas we will take back to our local communities and say goodbye and l’hitraot to new and old friends. Won’t you join us next year?

Moetzet Mazkirut – by Eliza Roth, Merakezet Tzmicha

In a spectacular moment of serendipity, on the weekend of February 14th, Philadelphia hosted two of the city’s most anticipated events at the same time – the Eagles Super Bowl parade and Moetzet Mazkirut. Lightning really does strike twice I guess.

Mazkiriyot from five HDNA machenot descended upon the City of Brotherly Love to learn together, build connection, and strengthen partnership. 

I love many movement seminars but I am especially partial to Moetzet Mazkirut. I think it’s so special because it’s a coming together of people who have all made the same big, important decision to take responsibility over their machanot. They’ve already been pouring energy, love, and care into Kayitz 2025 for months, and to meet other people who have made the same choice, who have been doing the same labor, who are building something similar with a shared vision, is so special. Because of this shared choice there is an inherent connection and it’s amazing to have a space where the mazkiriyot can lean on each other for support, and learn from one another.

Highlights throughout the weekend included a restorative justice training, during which the mazkiriyot learned about what it means to build a culture where no one is disposable, and wrestled with the challenges of restorative justice. 

Other highlights include peulot about imagination and creation, dialogical education and CLIPIP, our new pillar, and sadnaot about being a manager, navigating types of authority, dealing with hiring and firing, and how to feedback. (And we even had time for mini golf).

I left Moetzet feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for these super-humans and their thoughtfulness, intention, and larger-than-life energy. I can’t wait to see what they all build this summer!! 

Meet Amit Rakoff-Bellman, Camp Gesher’s New Executive Director

I’m thrilled to step into the role of Camp Director at Gesher—a place that has shaped my life in countless ways. I first arrived at Gesher as an 8-year-old camper, and over the years it became the foundation of my core values, my sense of self, and lifelong friendships.

Camper Amit (2011/2007) 

Introducing David Miller, Camp Galil’s New Camp Committee Chair

David E. Miller attended and worked at Camp Tavor from 1982-1989, with the exception of the summer of 1986, when he was on Workshop 36 on Kibbutz Gezer.

He is a former Chair of the Na’aleh Camp Committee and the current Chair of the Galil Camp Committee.  David’s older son, Dexter Buchanan (nee Miriam) attended Na’aleh and Galil, and his younger son, Noah Miller, currently attends Galil.  In addition to Israel, David has also lived in France, Italy and Russia.  He has been practicing law for almost twenty-five years.  In his spare time, David enjoys crossword puzzles and other word-based games and, in season, rooting for the Green Bay Packers.

Habonim Dror North America Joins The Hatikvah Slate in Elections to The World Zionist Congress

Habonim Dror North America has joined with New Jewish Narrative (formerly Ameinu/Americans for Peace Now), J Street, National Council of Jewish Women, Tru’ah, Hashomer Hatzair and many other progressive Jewish organizations to form the HATIKVAH SLATE, now competing in elections for the World Zionist Congress.

The principle behind the Hatikvah Slate is support for an Israel that lives up to its highest values. The Hatikvah Slate platform  is consistent with the pillars of HDNA as it calls for:

1. Voting against the occupation and voting for human rights
2. Voting to support an immediate and negotiated end to the war in Gaza
3. Voting to demand a democratic Israel
4. Voting to stop the messianic right wing and settlers from implementing their agenda
5. Voting to fund youth movements

The Hatikvah slate is filled with current members and graduates of HDNA from those in their teens through their eighties. The activists include mazkiriyot, ma’apilimot, camp directors, parents of campers, and many alumni.

Voting within the American Jewish Community began on March 10 and runs through May 4. As the Chairs of Habonim Dror Camp Association, we are supporting the Hatikvah slate. We urge you to participate in this important election. You can register and vote here

If you are interested in learning more about the Hatikvah slate we invite you join a zoom on Thursday March 20th at 8 pm ET. You can register by clicking this link.

Workshop Update from Benji Dutta, Machaneh Gilboa

Please enjoy this blog post written by current Gilboa Workshopper Benji Dutta about his experience at the end of workshop’s trip to Poland. Here’s what he had to say:

“Today was our final but maybe most meaningful day of our Poland journey. We had an early wake up of 6:30 AM and quickly got on the bus to head to our first hadracha of the day. Our first site was one of the last remaining parts of the Warsaw ghetto wall. Here, we talked about life in the ghetto and how it was common for there to be tension between rich and poor Jews. Then, we had an excellently run hadracha by Leor where he talked about the power of Jewish resistance and uprising.

After that, we learned about Dzielna 34, the commune for our youth movement Dror. This commune is where the movement would live [inside the Warsaw Ghetto]. Peulot would be held. Fun gossip sessions about the madrichimot would allow laughter. Seminars that lasted a month long where lecturers and various speakers would come and talk to the Jewish youth. It ran like our movement runs today. A soup kitchen was set up for all Jews. We learned about various people who had a heavy impact within our movement and got a sneak peak of who they were. Antek Zuckerman was the dreamer of the movement. He was who everyone looked up to. He was the mazkir (head of the movement). Zivia Lubetkin was the one who oversaw the Jews of Warsaw. She was the person to get stuff done. If you needed a job done, you went to Zivia. Frumka was the mother figure to the chanichim.

HDCA Kennes is the annual gathering of machaneh professional staff and board members, maapilimot  and the Mazkirut Artzit to strategize, collaborate, troubleshoot and celebrate all things Habonim Dror camping! Please join us!

Registration for Kennes is open! Use this link to register and please reach out to your Board Chair or Executive Director for further information.

It’s a New Year… Meet Our New Mazkirut Artzit Members

When September rolled around, we said goodbye to Zandra Campbell – our former Rakazol Chinuch. Zandra served in her position for two years and brought education, passion, commitment and joy to her position at a very difficult time. We thank her very much!

For the upcoming year Judah Altman, Mazkirol, and Zev Dever, Central Shlichol, are joined by three additional members. Introducing:

Eliza Roth, Rakezet Tzmicha

Eliza  grew up in Northern Virginia. She moved to Austin, Texas for college where she studied Race, Indigeneity and Migration at the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated in May of 2024, earning a Creative Writing certificate in addition to her B.A.  Eliza grew up in Habonim Dror at Camp Moshava. She started going to camp in 2015 and worked her first year on tzevet in 2019. After the summer of 2020, Eliza came back to Mosh with a renewed sense of responsibility and belief in the importance of Mosh and took on three years of leadership tafkidim, culminating in being Rosh in 2023. As Rakezet Tzmicha she will be focused on building up programs and structures for movement members on campuses, helping out with kenim, working with Habonim Dror alumni, and being a liaison to the machanot. Outside of HDNA, Eliza enjoys writing, cooking, and dancing.

Helen Landau, Rakezet Tochniot

Hi! My name is Helen and I am the incoming Rakezet Tochniot of Habonim Dror North America. I grew up right outside of Philadelphia and went to Camp Galil for the first time when I was 13. After my first summer at Galil, I kept coming back to machaneh and did madatz in 2018 and was on tzevet for the first time in 2019. I also went on Workshop 69, and then was a madricha for Galil At Home during the pandemic. In 2021, I was on tzevet again at Galil, and in 2022, I was an MBI madricha for Kvutza 74. I just finished my second summer as Chinuch on Mazkirut at Galil, and while I’m sad to be saying goodbye to this phase of my time in HDNA, I’m really excited to be joining the Mazkirut Artzit. Outside of machaneh, I’ve been on the movement’s Zionism Va’ad since 2020 and have helped build peulot and seminar programming for nachshonimot and maapilimot around the pillar. I also had the opportunity to be on the tzevet for Veida in 2022, which taught me a lot and was also super fun!

After returning from Workshop, I went to Scripps College in Claremont, California, where I majored in History and minored in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. I’m especially interested in learning about historical narratives that don’t make it into the K-12 curriculum, and am very passionate about history education and archives. I wrote my senior thesis on the domestic Cold War and federal surveillance of Jewish and Black creatives and activists and graduated in December 2023. I’m happy to share it with anyone who’s interested in reading it! In my free time, I love making art and doing various crafts, reading books, baking gluten free desserts, taking pictures of the moon, listening to music (especially Taylor Swift!), bingeing TV shows, and hanging out with my friends.

I’m so excited to be joining the mazkirut artzit and stepping into the role of Rakezet Tochniot. It’s been such a meaningful experience getting to work with ma’apilimot at machaneh, and I’m feeling very grateful to have such incredible partners in shaping the movement. I hope to see a lot of you at veida! Reach out to me whenever, I’m always happy to hear about your lives or talk about your dreams for the movement 🙂

AvH,
Helen Landau (she/her/hers)

Charlotte Frischer, Rakezet Chinuch

Charlotte has joined the Mazkirut Artzit as Rakezet Chinuch (Director of Education). She grew up at Machaneh Tavor in Kvutza 69, was on tzevet at Galil, and was a madricha for MBI/MBM in 2023 and 2024. She is looking forward to building exciting seminars that meet movement members of all different learning styles and creating a neurodiversity tochnit for HDNA.

Machaneh Galil and Gesher EDs Travel to Israel

In February of this year, David Weiss (Camp Galil ED) and Shoshana Lipschultz (Camp Gesher ED) participated in the Mission to Israel for Camp Directors sponsored by the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC). Together with staff from FJC and colleagues in the Jewish camping community, they toured Kibbutz K’far Aza and the Nova Music Festival site, visited with Kfar Aza survivors at Kibbutz Shefayim, and heard from a former summer shaliach about his experience at Nova. They had the opportunity to meet people working with evacuated youth, including at a surfing program at Camp Kimama, and to hear from the Jewish Agency about their plans for preparing this summer’s shlichimot. Additionally, they met with representatives from the Bedouin community, from the Israeli Arab community at Givat Haviva, and with representatives from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum. Together, David and Shoshi also had an opportunity to meet with our Workshoppers, HeChalutz, Habonim Dror Olami and the World Zionist Organization.

We are very grateful for the Foundation for Jewish Camp for providing this opportunity to David and Shoshi.

David and Shoshi with Hechalutz leadership

Shoshi’s Reflection on the Israel trip (by Shoshi Lipschultz)

I want to share some personal highlights and thoughts about this incredible opportunity to learn with colleagues and experts in our field and to bear witness and hear testimony about the effects of October 7 on Israeli society. We spent time at the site of the Nova festival, and it was one of the most profound moments of Jewish unity I have ever experienced. The site of the Nova festival has turned into a memorial with photos of the individuals that were lost that day, as well as their stories, their artwork, and other meaningful objects. As we walked through, people were quietly learning, observing, mourning, and doing so as individuals. A gentleman entered the memorial with a violin, and he began to play. At first people continued to mingle, then organically, everyone was drawn to the man playing his violin. People got closer and closer. The music was traditional Jewish music that by and large everyone knows, such as Oseh Shalom, Eli Eli, and finally Hatikvah. What began as an individual experience, became truly a communal experience with the lift and life of music. It was a profound reminder of our interconnectedness, and the strength and resiliency of the Jewish Community.

I want to share my deep gratitude to the community of Kfar Aza. I recognize that I do have  some personal bias as the Brodutch family is from Kfar Aza. As you may know, their daughter was a camper with us last summer and was taken hostage on October 7. One thing that stood out to me on that day, was just how long it took to fully understand what happened and to respectfully clean up. There was spray paint outside the houses that indicated when the army came in, when homes were cleared from additional traps meant to cause more harm, and finally when remains were cleared. The dates went into late November, showing just how long the process was and how slowly the extreme details were to come out and are still coming out.

I also found myself in awe of the strength of the Kfar Aza community. The choice that this community has taken – to open up their Kibbutz to be a living museum so that people from all over the world can see the violence and destruction that took place there, is extremely difficult and complicated. This has not been an easy choice for them. They have chosen to value global education over privacy and they continue to make that choice with each passing month.

This choice is something that we discussed as camp directors while sharing ideas, thoughts, and plans for our summers. How will we care for our shlichim and Israeli campers this summer? Do we need to make changes to our programming? Does the value of building an inclusive community supercede the value of free speech such as when certain voices in our community may voice “Free Palestine” or “Ceasefire now” which can be triggering to some of our campers and staff or for our Israeli visitors this year?

These conversations remain ongoing and yet, one thing has become crystal clear for me. Our goals, to create the next generation of Jewish leaders, to create an intentional Jewish community, and to foster a nuanced understanding of Israel that starts with Ahavat Yisrael – a love of Israel, can not be defined by October 7. This summer, 2024, as we continue to build bridges, to foster respectful dialogue, and engage in our ever important work, we must also remember and create the joy of summer, of Jewish peoplehood and Ahavat Yisrael

Resetting The Table – by Judah Altman, Mazkirol  

At the end of May, the leadership of all the machanot this summer gathered together for a Resetting the Table training. Resetting the Table is a Jewish non-profit that runs trainings around dialogue through difference courses. Their stated aim is  “Corageous Communication Across Divides.”

As a cohort, Habonim Dror participated in a two-day training that first set the groundwork for how to listen and engage in dialogue with people with whom you disagree, and then on the second day, delved into the specific case study of discourse around Israel and Palestine. The training focused on what to listen for, how to ask questions, and how to ensure that the person you are listening to feels heard and understood. It was an important training for Habonim Dror this summer knowing that discourse around Israel and Palestine is especially divisive this year and it is each Mazkirut’s job to manage that among tzevet, chanichimot, parents and stakeholders.

Habonim Dror would like to thank Machaneh Gilboa for making this opportunity possible. We know that all of the Mazkiriyot are better prepared and trained to lead their machanot this summer in healthy and happy ways.

Maapilimot Seminar – by Zandra Campbell, Rakazol Chinuch

A couple of weeks ago, we wrapped up our ma’apilimot seminar! From May 23 to 27, over 50 college-aged movement members gathered together (our biggest ma’ap sem since pre-COVID!!) at Habonim Dror Machaneh Moshava to learn and play together. Ma’apilimot learned about the history of the Gaza strip and the ongoing humanitarian crisis taking place there, shared their experiences of the anti-semitism that has impacted us over the last year, and discussed how HDNA can be a source of resilience as we navigate this painful moment in Jewish history. We even started thinking about new projects that we can build as a movement in the coming years!

As a ma’apilimot body, we laughed, we cried, we played, we danced, we asked questions and brought dilemmas, old and new. This space was such a healing space, and the ma’apilimot of HDNA proved that it is possible to have difficult conversations and disagree deeply with one another from a place of love, care, and shivyon erech ha’adam. This ability represents a step towards the Jewish value of tikkun olam in a profound way.

As always, we are so inspired by the youth, and we have so much faith in our ma’apilimot to lead their chanichimot this summer and into the future ♥️💙

Workshop 73 – by Judah Altman, Mazkirol

On May 20^th, Workshop 73 came to a close. While it was a very turbulent year, the Workshoppers showed resilience and unity as a kvutzah throughout the entire year, and Habonim Dror is extremely lucky to have them as a part of the movement. In the last few months of Workshop, the Workshoppers lived together in Haifa, working in the ken with their sister movement HaNoar HaOved VeHalomed. During their time in the ken, the Workshoppes ran after school programming and taught English in school. Interspersed within this, the Workshoppers had many seminars to attend that were both regularly scheduled programming, and seminars that had been delayed due to the war. These included: History of Habonim Dror seminar, Habonim Dror Olami world seminar, and Jerusalem Seminar. During Jerusalem Seminar, the Workshoppers moved to Jerusalem to engage in hands-on education on the conflict, shared existence, and life in Jerusalem. Additionally, in March, the Workshoppers travelled to Poland. While the year was a difficult one, filled with ups and downs due to the war and tragic incidents, they emerged stronger together and now are all heading to machaneh to lead their respective communities.

Meet Brian Tucker – Camp Miriam’s new Camp Committee Chair.

Brian hails from Eastern Canada where he and his older siblings attended Machaneh Gesher.  He began going to camp at a very young age and eventually was a member of the first Madatz (counselors-in-training progam) at Gesher, and of the first Machaneh Bonim in Israel cohort (MBI-Aleph).  Some years ago  he moved to Vancouver and after quitting his job, “checked in” with Miriam and was hired on as the Business Manager.  He was later hired as “Camp Manager,” a role which required him to stay at Machaneh throughout the summer to provide adult leadership together with the shlichim.  He recently signed on as Camp Committee Chair in which role he is responsible for the overall direction of Camp Miriam.

Brian lives in Victoria, British Columbia.  In his professional life, he is a Co-op Coordinator at the University of Victoria, helping UVic Science students to find meaningful work experiences related to their degrees.  Although his children currently do not attend camp, Brian’s niece Ayana is currently a member of Miriam’s Madatz cohort.

As Camp Committee Chair, Brian says he “hopes our capital campaign is successful, and we are able to expand the capacity of machaneh and improve upon our existing facilities.”  He notes that the events of October 7^th have “added complexity and different voices” to the conversation at Machaneh Miriam.

Brian and the Miriam Camp Committee are assisted by professionals Leya Robinson, Director of Camp and Community Engagement, Anya Levi, Manager of Finance and Administration, and Jay Eidelman, who was recently hired to serve as Director of Strategic Planning and Fundraising.  New Shaliach (Israel emissary) Aviad Levi Yair and not-quite-former Registrar Leah Levi round out the team.

Baruch haba, Brian!

Meet Mira Sussman – Machaneh Tavor’s new Board Chair. 

Mira is a third-generation Habonim member and lifelong Tavornik.  Her children now attend Machaneh and she has served on Tavor’s board for many years.  Mira had intended to step down from the board when her most recent term was up, but agreed to take on the Board Chair responsibility to ensure the continuation of strong adult leadership for Habonim Dror Camp Tavor.

In this role, Mira is working closely with Executive Director Danya Shapiro to steer Tavor through the headwinds of the current political situation in Israel/Palestine and on American college campuses.  She notes that Tavor will welcome three summer shlichimot this year as tzevet members.  With many diverse opinions among the tzevet, board and chanichimot, Mira hopes to ensure that Tavor remains a welcoming environment for all.

One of the issues that Mira is tackling is a lack of parent/community presence at camp.  She notes that in the wake of COVID, Tavor hasn’t held a Visitors Day for many years.  So, in late May the entire community was welcomed to Camp Tavor’s inaugural Spring Open House/Visitors Day.  As Tavor’s newsletter noted, “the event was filled with unforgettable moments as everyone came together to create stepping stones in the beit-o (art room), canoe on Lake Kaiser, and share meals around the campgrounds. The joy was contagious, especially when we danced rikkud (Israeli folk dancing) under the mitrya (pavilion).”

Mira is also intent on revitalizing Tavor’s kenim that meet in the cities where chaverimot live (primarily Ann Arbor and Chicago).

B’hatzlacha, Mira!

Habonim Dror Machanot in the News

The North American Jewish community has been very focused on the challenges and difficulties that may arise at Jewish summer camps this year. Here are just two of the articles highlighting our machanot:

In this article in Haaretz  Rosh Machaneh Isaiah Beenhouwer and Chinuch Ari Moore of Machaneh Gilboa talk about how Gilboa is preparing for “…conversations that have been and will be incredibly difficult.”

Haaretz: “…How U.S. Jewish Summer Camps are Preparing for a Year Like No Other”

And in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent the question is “How Are Jewish Camps Responding to Oct. 7?”  Machaneh Galil’s Executive Director David Weiss discusses their approach this year.

Habonim Dror Alumni to Visit Israel Together 🇮🇱

A Habonim Dror alumni solidarity trip to Israel is being planned for mid-September 2024.

Stay tuned for details shortly! 

HDNA Updates – by Judah Altman, Mazkirol HDNA

Grants

We are excited to share that Habonim Dror North America has received a grant from SRE Network (Safety, Respect, Equity)! SRE Network’s competitive Fall 2023 Open Grants cycle provides grantees with access to funding and expert practitioners to help them to build on their existing efforts to prevent harassment and discrimination and support healthy, thriving workplaces and communal spaces. By being an SRE Network grantee, we are committing to investing our staff time to advance our work to create safer, more respectful, and equitable workplaces and communal spaces.  Over the course of two-years, HDNA will create an internal network of anti-racist trainers in partnership with Yehudah Webster of “The Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project” (IOWA) and former Habonim Dror member Maya Hawkins in order to implement anti-racist trainings and policies.

Workshop

All of the Workshoppers are back in Israel and living in a bayit in Haifa. They are beginning to work in HaNoar HaOved VeHalomed kenim as well as preparing for their trip to Poland. It has been a dynamic time for the Workshoppers. In November, some of the chanichimot went to Manchester to distance themselves from the war where they lived in a bayit together and continued peulot on Jewish history as well as engaged in the Jewish community in Britain. Meanwhile, the Workshoppers still in Israel continued their regular education, while also volunteering with displaced families and children, and helping out in the agricultural sector on Kibbutz Ravid. In December, all of the Workshoppers went to South Africa to work at the Habonim Dror South Africa Machaneh. Now they have resumed programing as normal in Israel and are beginning their own journeys as educators in Israeli society.

In addition to programmatic changes, it has been a sad month for the Workshoppers as well. Workshop 73 madricha Rebecca Baruch passed away in the early morning of the 21st of January 2024 following a short illness. Originally from Habonim Netherlands, Rebecca made aliyah several years ago. She was a true Magshima of the movement, embodying its values in her everyday life. Rebecca was a wonderful madricha who led her chanichimot with strength and compassion. We are sure that the connection she forged with our workshoppers will continue to inspire them in their movement journeys. We send our love to Rebecca’s family, Habonim Netherlands, the worldwide Habonim family, and all those who had the pleasure to know her.

Moving Toward a Shared Future – with the Progressive Israel Network

On Tuesday January 30th, member organizations of the Progressive Israel Network hosted an online convening titled “Moving Toward a Shared Future.” The program centered around what comes next for Israelis and Palestinians, both within Israel and in the Palestinian territories. Following the panels, attendees split into moderated break-out rooms for discussion. Over 2,100 signed up to attend or receive the recording, with over 1,000 joining live, representing a diverse patchwork of generations, denominations, and regions across the United States. Habonim Dror played a major role in mobilizing and planning this PIN program by bringing the youth movement perspective through the personal discussions at the end. This event demonstrated a clear need and a widely shared desire to continue this conversation, both within our network and organizations and beyond. Here is the link to the recording of the Convening.

Moetzet Mazkirut

This past weekend, the HDNA Mazkirut Artzit ran Moetzet Mazkirut for all of the Machanot Mazkirut for the upcoming summer. They are all busy preparing an amazing summer and I am so excited for all of the energy and ideas that they are bringing. Here are some educational highlights of the seminar:

• We talked about creating meaningful space and dialogue for Israel and Palestine education that meets the positionality of all chanichimot and tzevet members this summer.
• We learned about concrete skills to lead the machanot.
• We met by tafkid to share resources across machanot.
• We talked about what it means to lead machaneh and the value of youth leadership.
• The Mazkirut met by machaneh to plan the summer together in person (for many, this was the first in-person meeting since hiring).

The wonderful Rashim who will be leading each machaneh are: Julia Robinson, Machaneh Galil; Amanda McCarthy and Meytal Kosower, Machaneh Gesher; Isaiah Beenhouwer, Machaneh Gilboa; Ariella Smith-Eidelman, Machaneh Miriam; Nathan Maya, Machaneh Moshava; Deena Eichhorn, Machaneh Tavor.

We are truly looking forward to this summer and I cannot wait to see it come to fruition!

Movement Seminars – by Zandra Campbell,  Rakazol Chinuch HDNA

This past winter, we made the difficult decision to cancel winter seminar due to low registration. Despite this initial disappointment, we still believed in the importance of ma’apilimot meeting each other this winter and took steps to ensure that any ma’apilol who wanted a movement space could have one. In the end, this took the shape of 5 parallel seminars. The first was Seminar Chazon, an in-person leadership seminar for those who would have been on tzevet for Winter Seminar, rashim, and older ma’apilimot who reached out looking for a movement space. The second was Yom Lemida, an online day of learning for any nachshon (high schooler) or ma’apilol in the movement. This seminar was run by the participants of seminar chazon. We also held kvutza seminars for 71 and 72 in New York and Montreal respectively, during which the kvutzot set goals around how they want to relate to themselves and the movement. Finally, we offered the opportunity for our ma’apilimot to go to Israel on a solidarity and resilience delegation with the Hakhel network of Jewish Intentional communities. On the delegation we volunteered in agriculture, met displaced communities in Israel, both Jewish and Arab, and had many enlightening encounters with civil society leaders, activists, and people affected by the ongoing war.

Here are some reflections from seminar participants: 

Jenny Sherman, Seminar Chazon Participant

“Going into the seminar, I felt nervous. I assumed the other seminar-goers had different viewpoints than me, and I felt nervous to hear things that might have held different ideological sentiments than I held. I hadn’t been to a seminar in a long time and I felt so confused and so not firm in my own opinions on what was happening in Israel. I felt anxious; the anxiety I’ve been experiencing from disagreement with my friends and family has become a more perpetual state born from the war in Israel and Palestine.

My expectations were blown away by the reality of the seminar. I left feeling finally more clear on some of the entangled, lurking, screaming questions that had been drowning my mind for the past 3 months. I felt like I had tangible information for once; on history and the past, on the ideology of different groups, on the definitions of key terms. I felt more grounded in what was real and what was not real. I felt more grounded in what I wanted. 

…as Jews, what history has shown us, and what the movement has shown us as well, is that there is power in caring; about the world, about what is right, and what we want for the future. It’s what makes our people stronger – kvetching and kvelling – and it’s a part of our history. It has come to be a defining factor of my Jewish community (because of what the movement has shown me) and it’s something I want in the Jewish communities I enter into. I hope movement members can not only see this as an option but yearn for it as an extension and celebration of what it means to be Jewish, now and eternally.” 

Daniel Gonclaves, participant of 72 seminar

“This seminar in Montreal was absolutely lovely. I met so many amazing people and had the privilege of participating in wonderful peulot run for us by Erica and Judah. We learned about each other and the world around us. One memory stands out to me. After our last peula, we got out a ball of string and passed it around. Each person held onto their part and told the group how they would try to stay in touch with the rest of us. We all responded, It’s possible! By the end, after the last person received the string, we all stopped to marvel at the web of purple string connecting us all. This was kvutza. This was my kvutza.” 

Jonah Greenhut, participant of 71 seminar 

“The seminar had all the classics of a good Habo Dror experience: peulot, chevrati, sichot, and good food. The biggest idea that was introduced was that of the inner point. The point that ties us all together. Each person in the kvutza is a line connected to the inner point – you can be different distances from the middle, or you could have different strengths tying you to it, but the idea is the central point is what keeps something going. It became clear during the seminar that the central point for 71 had become uncertain. Now in 2024, it came time to renew the center. To renew what it means to be in a process. To renew what it means to approve and demand of each other. To renew 71 so it is not longer seen as a dying entity but lives with a beating heart. This renewal will not be easy, and will not look like our kvutza did in the past, but this renewal, this finding of our center will be a new Beresheet, a new beginning, that I look forward to dreaming and building.” 

Habonim Bogrim & Ha’Noar Ha’Oved (& Dror Israel) Mobilizing Since the War, by Zev Dever, HDNA Shlichol

Since the early days of the war in Israel, Israeli society faced a large trauma accompanied by hundreds of thousands of people finding themselves displaced, and even more called up to reserves. Amongst other factors these greatly shook the foundations of societies’ normal functioning, and so our graduate and sister movements in Israel quickly mobilized to try and take responsibility for some of the unfolding dilemmas facing Israel.

Since very early on Dror Israel set up schools and youth groups to take responsibility for displaced communities, operating frameworks ranging from day care to full elementary and secondary schools, and this has continued to be the largest enterprise the movement has undertaken. Some operate in hotels where the population of destroyed Kibbutzim are until today temporarily sheltering in Eilat and the Dead Sea region, as well as the center, and some in existing movement schools. Pictured here is Yelena Adelman, former HDNA Mazkirut Artzit member and Bogeret Camp Tavor, an experienced educator in Israeli society, who for the past month has been establishing and running a school on Kibbutz Ginnosar for displaced children evacuated from the north.

The movement has organized many educational frameworks to relieve the needs of a society at war. NOAL has also set up youth group chapters in hotels to offer Ken activities to children who cannot return home. Today the Ken “Sderot” displaced in three locations is the largest active ken in HaNoar HaOved serving around a thousand chanichimot with activities multiple times a week. 

When schools were shut down the movement established and ran day care facilities for medical workers as it had previously done during the Covid Pandemic in areas under threat. There is also an effort to offer general Ken activities in shelters in communities at risk of rocket attack.Sivan Bamberger, Mosh Alumna shares this photo from kabbalat shabbat activities that she went to with her son at the Ken of Hanoar HaOved VeHalomed in a local bomb shelter in Rehovot. The movement has also mobilized to take care of people’s physical needs, offering both shelter and supplies where necessary and possible. 

Adina Teibloom is organizing the Dror Israel effort in Mitzpeh Ramon to care for displaced families from the area surrounding Gaza. They’ve used their boarding school (which was on break when the fighting started) to host 22 people from the area and are hosting 48 other families from Kibbutz Erez at another location in Mitzpeh Ramon. 

There are hardly communities not affected by the war, and there are likewise hardly kenim or chapters of the movement that have not desired to mobilize in some way to contribute to society at this time. Some volunteer with elderly or particularly at risk members of society who tend to suffer more in times of crisis. 

Leah Silverberg (Gesher 56) is in Tel Aviv, working from home helping Holocaust survivors in Rishon Letziyon and Tel Aviv. She’s calling to make sure they aren’t alone, trying to take care of their emotional and physical needs like food and medication. The current situation is bringing up a lot of past trauma for them.

Toviah Botwinick (Galil 63) is volunteering in Haifa. He explains that in the Hadar neighborhood there are communities of Eritrean refugees and their children, living in poor conditions. He is part of efforts to help them get access to shelters and run afternoon activities for the kids.

Leah Schwartz, (Mosh 64) has been working with the teenage chanichimot of Ken Pardes Hana to collect food and hygiene products to donate to soldiers.

Ziv Bar-El (Gilboa 61) has been traveling to Ravid in the mornings to volunteer on the Dror Educational Orchards, where half of the tzevet is serving in miluim (reserve duty). General agriculture as well as other fields of industry have been greatly affected and have had need of volunteers.

Marina Levy (Miriam 65) continues to manage Kibbutz Ravid’s orchards, largely stepping in as the interim manager as well as organizing many volunteering groups.

Movement members are also involved in attempting to preserve the delicate fabric of shared society in Israel, working on answering community needs of Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel in mixed cities and towns. As Adam Levy (Miriam 56) explains: “We are setting up a system of how to take care of Akko during war. First we cleaned and made sure all the bomb shelters were ready, now we’re doing community work to create a leadership team in each neighborhood in times of war, And helping people who don’t have work because of the war, and trying to make sure people don’t riot,  Gabe Fruend and I are leading it.” 

As Margot Levy (current HDNA member) noted during our resilience and solidarity mission visiting another Mixed city of Nazareth the Urban Kibbutz Mishol located there had been working in a similar vein.  “For example, as part of a project they started, every night 2 Jewish-Israelis and 2 Palestinians drive around the city together, speaking with people about their feelings and experiences. Additionally, if anyone has been a victim of an act of violence, they visit them in the hospital together.”

Adam and Gabe are also the heads of HeChalutz the organization of Habonim Bogrim in Israel living in Urban intentional communities. 

If you would like to see more, or get involved to help, check out also Dror Israel’s english webpage

If you would like to invite someone from the movement in Hechalutz to give a talk either in person or online in your local community please feel free to reach out to Zev Dever our central shaliach at Shaliach@habonimdror.org

Introducing Rebecca Green – Executive Director, Machaneh Gilboa

Camp Gilboa’s new Executive Director, Rebecca Green, came to Habonim Dror via Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, where she served as a National Organizer working with the California chapters on issues such as immigration justice, housing justice, and criminal justice reform. While at Bend the Arc she worked alongside Gilboa’s staff and Tzedek youth on several advocacy campaigns, including an effort to eliminate cash bail in California.  “I was so impressed and inspired by the powerful young people in this community!” she wrote.  When the job of Executive Director at Gilboa opened up, she was immediately interested.

While Rebecca does not have a strong summer camp or a Habonim background (although her father attended Habonim camp), she has extensive experience in youth education and social justice movements.  In addition to Bend the Arc, she taught social studies in New York City public schools, where she established a Peer Mediation course to bring restorative justice practices to the school, and supported the peer mediators when they led a walk-out to demand action against gun violence.  During her college years, she volunteered in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina with UC Berkeley Hillel,  attended the Birthright program in Israel, and was active in affordable education organizing.  

Rebecca joined Gilboa’s staff in spring 2023 and spent the summer learning the ropes with the help and guidance of outgoing E.D. Elana Bloomfield.  She continues to explore the ins and outs of the movement with a lot of help from her fellow Habonim Dror E.D.s. Rebecca reports that attending Kennes 2023, the JCamp 180 conference, and the American Camp Association’s Spring Leadership Conference was also helpful.  She even made flashcards to learn camp Hebrew!

On top of this difficult camp learning curve came October 7th.  “The Gilboa community has such a spectrum of opinions,” she says.  “It’s been a challenge to figure out how to respond.  My goal is to keep the community together as much as possible at this moment, to make sure people feel safe – that they belong.  To find a way that we can recognize our shared values, though not necessarily the same beliefs – and hold together as one community.”   

Welcome Rebecca – b’hatzlacha!

Introducing Abby Cohen, Co-Executive Director, Camp Moshava

Abby Cohen is a familiar face at Habonim Dror Camp Moshava who was appointed Co-Executive Director (alongside Talia Rodwin) last fall.

While she did not grow up in Habonim Dror, Abby met her husband Ezra, a Mosh alum, at the University of Michigan when he had just returned from Workshop in 1993. “It sounded so strange to me, because I had gone to a more traditional camp,” she says, but upon the couple’s move to Maryland in 2007 she found herself enjoying a circle of friends connected to Mosh, including then-Executive Director Jen Braveman.  In 2013 she found herself looking for a job at the same time Jen was looking for a new Registrar – and a shidduch was made.  

Abby has worked steadily at Mosh since then, with the exception of a one-year break in 2022.  Her complete new title is Co-Executive Director for Development and Engagement, which means she leads Mosh’s camper recruitment and retention, fundraising, family and alumni engagement, and community relations efforts.  Her goal is to professionalize Mosh’s fund-raising work, reconnect alumni to camp, and help position Mosh to become financially secure.  She notes that the camp recently completed a Strategic Plan and that funding will be required to construct many new capital improvements.  As a person who did not grow up in Habonim, she sees her role in “Engagement” as getting to know the new families and helping them to make a connection with Mosh and with the broader movement.

Abby’s three children are all Moshnikim!  Her younger son Asher is going on MBI this summer while her older son, Will, was on Tzevet last summer..  Daughter Lilah  is currently on Workshop which Abby describes as “not the year her daughter envisioned but she is making the most of it.”

We asked Abby to describe the “magic of Mosh.”  She says, “I think Mosh is a place where kids feel comfortable being their true selves.  I think they’re inspired by the tzevet and they have fun.  I think kids like the people they are at camp – and eventually, their camp selves become their true selves.”

Well said, Abby, and kol ha’kavod, Abby, on your new position!

HDCA Kennes 2023

At the end of October, 45 board members, professional staff and maapilimot from all 6 Habonim Dror camps together with HDNA’s Mazkirut Artzit and the leaders of Habonim Dror Camp Association gathered in Springfield, MA for HDCA’s annual Kennes.  The timing was challenging, as planning a gathering such as this requires input from many constituencies and planning so close to the end of the summer was indeed difficult.

But the most challenging aspect of this Kennes was the tragedy that struck in Israel on October 7 and the ensuing war. Our Mazkirut Artzit was in Israel on that date and we were all affected by the trauma and grief and fear. We debated internally whether we should even hold Kennes. But, as happens at machaneh each summer, the flexibility and creativity and sensitivity of our movement members made for a moving and inspiring community experience.

For those of you who weren’t able to be there, here are some highlights of the program.  Perhaps next year, you’ll join us!

After Kabbalat Shabbat and dinner, we began our time together with an ice-breaker and then we heard stories, successes and challenges from each of our six machanot.

SEE YOU IN 2024!