Is it lack of ideology or funding that's hurting Zionist youth?
Recession has hit hard in the movement world, but it is not the only factor that may collapse these movements.
By Jonny Singer Tags: Jewish World Europe Jews Israel newsThe World Zionist youth movements came out this week claiming that a cut in the money they receive from the Jewish Agency is threatening their very existence, and that as a result "hundreds of thousands of Jewish youth will lose their only significant link to the State of Israel and to their Jewish identity."
The recession has hit hard in the movement world, and it has been suggested that this will directly lead to a fall in numbers making aliyah. However, a closer look seems to show that the problem lies deeper.There is no doubt that in order to run a movement you need a good amount of money, and that Diaspora movements in particular rely hugely on the Jewish Agency for funding, but what is really inhibiting the movements in the 21st century is not a deficit of dollars, but of ideas.
On a program for Diaspora youth leaders spending their gap years in Israel recently, students were asked to place a list of words in order, depending on how important they were to the individual's vision for the movement. "Providing a fun environment for participants" was in every single top three.
"Movement ideology" featured much lower - at one point ranking only 18 out of 20. These students are the very people the Jewish Agency sees as the next to make aliyah. They are all educated, all committed to their movements and to Israel, and yet virtually none of them see ideology as a priority. It is here that the real problem lies.
In the U.K., U.S. and even amongst youth in Israel, the movements are no longer a way of young people pushing for change or representation. (Obama can do that, and a few young people will nod their head vaguely in his direction.)
Instead they are a place to meet new friends, or hang out with old ones, a cheap way of going to a top tourist destination perhaps, or even just an enjoyable way to pass long summers. The socialist movements are no longer full of socialists, the religious movements are happy to take those who consider themselves relatively secular, and even those whose constitution is simply Zionism are beginning to water down these ideas in order to be more inclusive.
The evidence for this manifests itself best by looking at the British Zionist youth system. Each year a few thousand Jewish 16-year-olds come for a month in Israel with one or other of these movements. At the moment the largest mainstream movement is FZY (the Federation of Zionist Youth) which brings over 12 tours and has a waiting list. Just a few years ago the biggest was RSY Netzer (the UK branch of Reform Zionist Youth) and before that Habonim Dror (the Socialist, culturally Jewish, Zionist youth movement).
The basic ideology within the teenage Jewish world has not changed wildly in Britain in this time, so the migration from movement to movement shows simply a change in fashion, price and perception. It is none of these factors which will, in the end, decide a person's real connection to the state of Israel.
The complaints over their financial treatment are therefore a rather fitting demonstration of what is wrong with the movements. Desperate for money they seek to bring in numbers and thus ignore their ideology. Apathy can reign, as long as it reigns over more people seems to be the thinking.
The connection to Israel from Diaspora movements is fading, and the way to bring it back is not through wildly giving out more money, but by helping these movements rediscover some purpose, either by returning to old values or adopting new ones.
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You expressed eloquently what many are feeling.
Perhaps it is becoming too hard for too many young people to identify with a country filled with corrupt politicians at the highest level, a religious right trying to make it into a theocracy, the incredibly obvious imbalance of rich and poor, the prominent presence of organized crime, and the general lack of turnover to bring new leadership to the fore.
Stop joking about Habonim Dror...wow 60 people showed up at your conference! LOL Seriously, more people are falling away and finding Zionism irrelevant or embarrassing. The only way to save whatever you want to call "a group of respected Jews fulfilling a righteous role in Israel" (Zionism or whatever) is to radically diverge from the current trajectory. Israel represents apartheid and racism following on the heels of an ethnic cleansing. Relevant and intelligent actors know this and honesty and being true mensch about the subject will gain respect for the project in the end. Complaining about who's at fault for a failed ideology is futile.
I can tell you one out of probably many things it is hurting our youth. I am coming from Uruguay and there we had multiple options in regards of Jewish education. In the USA where I live now, more specifically in Jacksonville, FL those options are limited. The only Jewish school in Jacksonville, Fl is very conservative and most of the Jewish population rather send their the kids to non jewish schools. There is Sunday's day schools but that also is not working very well for most people. So if you can send me information or advise on how to open/fund a new jewish school based more on traditions, jewish culture and life I guarantee you that we can reverse this situation. Sincerely, Benjamin Piperno, MD
in Habonim Dror Brasil the ideology is alive, you wanting to believe it or not.
Chevre, Shalom After 23 years as a parent and supporter of Habonim Dror North America, I can assure you that idealism still runs deep and strong throughout the Movement - though you'd best hear this from today's Movement ma'apilim, themselves. Any adult Zionist who takes the time to listen to them, is easily convinced of the value of continuing to invest in this most successful and sustainable educational program for the production of successive Zionist generations of Jewish communal leaders and innovators. Talk about a high return on Zionist investment. Nothing beats Habonim Dror North America. Full disclosure: I have been privileged to serve this past year as the Executive Director of the Habonim Dror Camp Association.
I used to work at Zionist summer camp in the US. I am familiar with the draw and approach of these organizations and I live in Israel now. To me, the reality is that Zionism has failed because it was rooted in 20th Century ethno-nationalism. We're in a different era now. Jews in the US aren't interested in emulating racist US South nationalists or Euro-fascists on Middle Eastern soil. The same arguments have been deployed to defend this tired project of a group of Jews who wanted to be ethnic cleansers themselves. The upcoming intelligentsia and machers want to be a part of something bigger, hi-tec, internet, globalism...HUMANISM. In the end, Israel's true project has little to offer this vision of the future.
Zionism was lost because we came to worship materialism vs. Jewish values. The phrase next year in Jerusalem was replaced with weekend in Tel-Aviv. Why not bring Dor Chadash, Habonim, etc...to Israeli youth... We were so busy trying to survive we forgot to pass the very lessons we wanted our youth to have- love the land as yourself. Not SA and Israel are the same!!! Never were or will be!
As the grandchild of Chalutzim and a staunch Zionist educator, I believe that the disinterest in Zionism began with the inability to teach Jewish/Israeli history to the very youth of Israel. Israeli youth know very little of their own history! Second, Israel became comfortable and Westernized...easier to work at McDonald's than till the soil. Finally, we have taken for granted the very land our ancestors died for despite all the memorial days, etc... The way to bring Zionism back is have the elders teach the youth and reeducate our people.
zionism iz hurting youth
Because of their dreadful reputation, the Jewish Agency was given less funds but that's no excuse to hit the pockets of the precious zionist groups abroad whom they are supposed to serve. Unless of course they refuse to take salary cuts themselves. That's why the public must have a transparent view of exactly how funds are allocated.
I fear that your words cloak the repetive historical re-occurance of antisemitism. This time however the Jews have their own country, and however many difficulites it might be facing in the world social arena clear diffrences remain. Israel is fighting against Islamic extremism. The very same that will fly planes into buildings and blame everyone else in the world for the reasons why they do it.
the jewish agency doesnt care with ideology...the jews are not doing aliah nowdays...so what the solution of jews agency? cristhiam alyah! visit some absortion center in israel...more than 50% at least not jewish!
Are movements not teaching ideology because it is now irrrelevant? Herzlian political zionism thought that creating a Jewish State would abolish antisemitism. This has not happened. Zionism has not been the way for Jews to become part of a socialist utopia. Religious Zionism is irrelevant and restrictive for most Israelis. Cultural Zionism has become a contradiction in terms - culture, especially in Israel, is there for its own sake not for an ideology. There is a scary right wing post zionist rhetoric. We need a left wing post zionist rhetoric to be relevant to young Jews today both inside and outside of Israel
i hope you will not judge Habonim Dror as a whole by HDUK. i agree with you're article and you're assessment of the state of youth movements in general. i do however feel that there is hope and some members of habonim dror at least, like myself, would like to return to the old labor zionist values with the hagshama of the movement focused on the new kibbutz movements kvutsat kvutsot structure. there is an upsurge of those willing to be the hardcore of the movement and see Tnua as much more than just a summer camp again. (also in the most recent veida we were able to change "culturally jewish" back to just jewish)
A possibility few zionists would want to contemplate is that the image Israel projects to the rest of the world turns people off (including Jewish youth).
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I have just been on the annual conference for my youth movement, Noam Masorti youth in the UK. Attended by over 60 participants, many of whom had taken part in the Israel Tour programme as written above, I can tell you that the passion for the ideology was very evident. 4 days were spent debating the ideology of our movement and what it stood for. Ideology at Noam is implemented in all programmes and so is always evident. Yes, more and more people are going on Israel Tour but it is not just a holiday, it is an engaging and inspiring one month trip with the ideology of the movement ingrained into all the activities. Many participants return to the movement and identify, debate and play with its ideology.
I don't know who the author is but I work with Habonim Dror youth here and the ideology is there and is transmitted effectively at every activity. Being willing to identify yourself as a Zionist is not very popular these days and the lack of funding for Israel programs and educational activites is a crime. Birthright spends millions yet has no follow up program. We do. Just ask our thousands of alumni.
People who try to support an ideology by hijacking Judaism are nearing the end of their fun ride. Israel needs to clean house before its done for you.
I can remember when even non-Jewish kids in Britain wanted to go to Israel and work on a kibbutz and all that sort of thing. But Israel is slowly becoming for today's kids around the world what apartheid South Africa was for our generation. If you're Jewish you might still just want a cheap holiday there, but you don't want to be part of the ideology and have to defend it to all your friends back in Britain. That would be a bit too embarrassing.
They don't care about Israel and they don't care about living a Jewish life. A fact many Israelis don't get about the diaspora. A Jew living in the United States looking on a computer will not want to step foot in Israel let alone live there and have kids. Hell, even Israelis are leaving Israel in their droves.