May fever

Since returning from the Pesach break, the workshoppers have plunged into the frenzy of national holidays in Israel. Thus far we have commemorated Yom Hashoa (Holocaust remembrance day) and May Day.
On Yom Hashoa, all the workshop and shnat groups gathered at Lochamei Hagetoaot, a kibbutz near Acco that was founded by fighters in the Warsaw ghetto and members of Dror, which also contains a very unique musuem [that we visited as part of the Poland preparation process]. Every year the official ceremony to close Yom Hashoa is held at the Amphitheater. It is a very special and unique ceremony, often with a focus towards the Youth movements in Israel. A highlight was the speech by Chavka Folman-Raban, a fighter from Dror in Warsaw, who spoke about the need of the youth to fight against the destructive elements in Israeli society today. Before the ceremony itself, we held a small Habonim Dror remembrance ceremony which was prepared by the British workshop group.
A number of workshoppers spent the Friday night and Saturday at the training seminar for the summer shlichim - the Israelis who will be traveling to the different machanot this summer as madrichim on behalf of the Jewish Agency.
Yesterday, we celebrated May Day - the workers festival . Although traditionally celebrated on May 1st, as there was a conflict with Yom Hashoa, it was moved to May 4th this year. We gathered in Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv and participated in a march through Tel Aviv streets, together with a few thousand members of youth movements in Israel - Hanoar Ha'oved V'lomed, Hashomer Hatzair, and Machanot HaOlim. It was an incredible sea of blue and red, and we then finished outside the Workers Federation Building with performances, dancing and singing (including a great solo by Josh Marantz!) and lots of sitting in the beautiful sunshine! Although it was a long day, it was also a really nice event, and afforded a great opportunity for the workshoppers to see their friends from their "sister chavot".

Tuesday night is Erev Yom Hazikaron (Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers) which is followed the next day by Yom Ha'atzamaut (Israeli Independence Day) - so there is still a lot ahead in this week!
Next week is the final full week of Workshop, with messimot coming to a close and cleaning in full swing! The workshoppers leave their houses in Acco and Carmiel on the 15th May and will be at the Shfayim guest house (just north of Herziliya) until the 18th May early morning where they depart.