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, one of the kvutsot picked Butternut Squash and Oranges with Table To Table; while the other kvutsa worked on the Kibbutz – mainly in the dining room/kitchen however a few were lucky enough to work in the refet (cowshed).

Today the workshoppers 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 workshoppers 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 workshoppers have been informed that their Kaveret locations will be Carmiel and Acco. It has not yet been determined which kvutsa will be in each of the locations – but this should be finalized over the next month and we will inform the workshoppers as soon as it has been.
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 workshoppers 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 (http://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 at Troublesome chanichim and punishment (one kvutsa); and Counselling and Duty of Care (the other kvutsa). 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 Workshoppers 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. Mitspe Ramon overlooks the Ramon crater, which is the largest of the 3 craters in the Negev desert. That night a fun activity involving star gazing 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 workshoppers 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!

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 workshoppers 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. On Wednesday, 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 workshoppers 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 one of the kvutsot picked Jerusalem Artichokes with Table to Table, and the other kvutsa worked in various work branches on Netiv HaLamed Hey. 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 workshoppers 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.

Housekeeping

As Workshop continues to hum along I wanted to address a few issues that have been brought to my attention. First off I would like to point out that by and large the program is going quite well. While at times minor frustrating technical issues have arisen, the seminars, tiyulim, and kvutsah experiences are going well. I also would like to apologize for delays in communication that have occurred recently. I continue to be slowed down and frustrated as it turns out I have a bone contusion in my right foot. That being said I will be making every effort to address all issues and concerns in as timely a manner as possible.

That being said a couple of issues which bear addressing and explaining have been brought to my attention. As some of you have emailed and called me about, there has been some issue with the quality and consistency of meals on Kibbutz. From my experience there and the feedback I have gotten from parents and the madrichim, often the meals in dining room are quite good or decent. Unfortunately at times the meals are just inadequate and this inconsistency is very problematic.

We have been working aggressively with the mitbach to address this issue of consistency at meals as parts of our agreement and meal plan with them have not entirely been held up on their end. It seems we have been making progress as some limited reports I have suggest that the food is getting better. I will continue to monitor the situation and assess what other measures might need to be taken to insure there is an acceptable meal and food situation for the Workshoppers.

It has also been brought to my attention that the computers in the moadon(clubhouse) have been broken. This has been frustrating on both sides as the PCs were apparently tampered with and have delayed the repair process. All the computers though are coming back online, albeit slower than was expected. There is still wireless internet and apparently a number of laptops owned by various Workshoppers so a connection to the internet should still be readily available.

Also in case it was not known to all the Workshop parents, but their is in fact a parents listserv that was created by a fellow Workshop parent. If you would be interested in joining please don't hesitate to email me and I will give you this person's contact information. The listserv is a forum for you the parents to talk to each other about your experiences and questions you might have for each other. If you have questions or concerns that you would like me to address I would strongly encourage you to contact me directly via phone or email if you would like a timely answer.

Lastly I will be going to Israel in the evening of November 12th until November 25th for a conference. I will also have the opportunity to spend some time with the Workshoppers and on Kibbutz to check in on how things are going. During that time I will be checking my email but will be slowed down in my response time. I will also be reachable by cellphone which I will keep on at all times and will give you all the number soon.

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 workshoppers 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 workshoppers. 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 there was a model of the very uniquely designed Conservative synagogue from Elkins Park, PA, which some of the workshoppers are very familiar with! 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 some of the workshoppers also worked on the Kibbutz, at various branches such as kitchen, dining room, gardens and laundry. Other workshoppers picked beetroots with Table To Table.
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