In the fires of war, in the burning, in the fire,
Among stormy days of the blood,
Here I am lighting my little torch,
In order to search, to search for a human being.
–
Hanna Senesh
Hashomer Hatzair, with 110 years of social and educational activity, and the Tzedek Centers, with hundreds of their activists, have joined forces in establishing an emergency system aimed at providing immediate assistance for all the families whose lives were turned upside down. Hashomer Hatzair and Tzedek Centers stand at the forefront of the social struggle and strengthen the home front these days.
We are carrying out emergency activities in several areas:
Educational activities and support for families in shelters in Ashkelon, Be'er Sheva, Ashdod, and other cities, and assistance to the population who cannot evacuate in the Gaza border region.
Hosting displaced families in the seminar center in Givat Haviva and in volunteer homes throughout the country.
Emotional and educational support for kibbutzim evacuated from the Gaza envelope to centers in Eilat, the Dead Sea, Kfar Menachem, Ma'aleh HaHamisha, Tel Aviv, Nahsholim, and Givat Olga, including support, emotional activities, and providing various basic needs.
Organizing volunteer support activities in local municipalities throughout the country, including joining municipal aid efforts, assisting with sheltering, operating phone hotlines, collecting equipment and donations for the residents of the southern region and the Gaza envelope, providing support for children of the medical team, and more.
Activities during this period
Embracing the South! An educational framework for communities from the Gaza envelope in hotels
We went to our communities and our youth from the evacuees who are now in Eilat, the Dead Sea, Ma’aleh HaHamisha, Hadera, and ten other locations across the country. There, we provide comprehensive educational support for children and youth. Meeting with the familiar counselors, warm hugs, group activities and play that bring a smile are beyond meaningful during this time. We are constantly examining the continuation of activities based on the different needs that arise from the field. We will continue to provide assistance as long as the communities need us.
Hosting Displaced Families
With the outbreak of the war on Saturday morning, the staff of the seminar center in Givat Haviva began rapid preparations to host families from the south. Clean rooms were prepared, phone lines were opened, and the reception of families began. In collaboration with the Havatzelet Foundation and the Givat Haviva Campus, a comprehensive system was established to accommodate families and provide for all their needs, including equipped rooms, a dining room providing full meals, extensive educational activities for children, therapeutic and emotional support and more. Currently, the Givat Haviva rooms are fully occupied, and continuous efforts are being made to accommodate more families as the phone does not stop ringing.
The activity at Givat Haviva, from morning to night, is carried out with the goal and desire to create, even for a few moments, a sense of security and protection for all the families coming from Ashkelon, Ofakim, Sderot, and more. We seek to remind them that they have someone to whom they can turn for any need that arises, and to know that the Givat Haviva team will do everything in its power to provide the required assistance.
"Open House" Centers for Gaza Border Residents
From the first day of the war, a wide coordination center for hosting was established under the auspices of the Tzedek Centers and Hashomer Hatzair. To date, more than 7,000 families have registered at the center, with housing solutions provided for around 800 families and numerous inquiries still coming in. The center, including a Russian-speaking department, already involves more than 200 volunteers, many of whom are members of Hashomer Hatzair or activists in the Tzedek Centers. The Center’s volunteers work tirelessly to match families willing to host with those seeking accommodation.
Our Activity in Local Municipalities
Among our activities in local municipalities are operating shelters in southern and coastal cities, daycare for children of medical professionals, operating equipment and food collection centers, and the preparation of shelters. Already in the early days of the war, the movement’s counselors, including kibbutzim members and graduates, began providing educational activities for children of medical professionals in hospitals. This is alongside the educational activity in shelters in southern and coastal cities and the north. The Nachshonim Youth Houses in these areas received immediate approval from the municipalities to continue their important activity in neighborhoods out of an understanding of the importance and urgency of providing children with a safe and pleasant place to be while their parents work.
Protectors of Partnership
Right here, right now. We are the foundation for goodness and solidarity in the face of widespread violence and racism around us.
هنا بالذات والآن بالذات. نحن أساس الحياة الطيبة أمام العنف والعنصرية المستشرية حولنا .
We are organizing a series of activities and events to promote solidarity and partnership between Arabs and Jews and calling other organizations to join us. Only a broad network of organizations can deal with the volatile situation we find ourselves in.
نحن ندعوكم لإقامة سلسلة نشاطات وفعاليات ومناسبات لتطوير التضامن، والشراكة بين العرب واليهود. ما سيمنع ويحول وسيتصدى لهذا الوضع.الشائك الذي نعيش به هو تنظيم شبكة منظمة واسعة
We are looking for partners and volunteers to initiate and join meetings, lectures, tours, and the establishment of forums for community leaders in cities and between cities, youth events, protests, protest art, and more.
نحن ندعوكم للمبادرة والانضمام للقاءات، محاضرات، جولات.اقامة منتديات لقيادين جماهيريين.في البلد وخارجه. نشاطات شبيبة،أحداث احتجاجية ، فن احتجاجي وما شابه ذلك
Activities of Ajyal, the Arab division of Hashomer Hatzair, in hotels in the cities of Nazareth and Rahat
In the city of Rahat, which was directly affected by one of the initial barrages, Ajyal, the Arab division of Hashomer Hatzair, in collaboration with the municipality, initiated a training program for young volunteers to restore resilience to residents. In Nazareth, educational activities are being held for children and youth from the Arab village of Arab al-Aramashe, who have been evacuated from their homes.
On the home front and on the front lines
Members of Hashomer Hatzair and the Tzedek Centers, were recruited in large numbers to reserves military duty just hours after the outbreak of the war. The soldiers are dedicated and committed to the war effort and national mission. The members of the movement who are part of the Nahal unit, are engaged in various missions on the home front and the front lines. Active soldiers from the movement’s Nahal service are participating in educational activities in shelters in Ashkelon and educational programs for evacuees staying in hotels.
“Together with tens of thousands of people from Israeli society, we left everything behind, packed our bags, and arrived to carry out the tasks of the hour. The tasks we are performing are diverse: replacing regular soldiers in the front lines, strengthening the home front, and engaging in combat at the front.
In these missions, we operate according to the needs of the hour and are present wherever we are needed, bringing with us the spirit of the movement, raising morale, and engaging in value based dialogue about the situation
Hazak Ve’ematz”.
Oded, Kibbutz Nevo, Golani Brigade 9307
Hashomer Hatzair and the Tzedek Centers salute the movement’s youth and graduates who are called up for military service. This includes Nahal Brigade fighters and supporters, fighters on the front lines, and those serving on the home front. This also includes all graduates of the movement, those enlisted in the reserves, and all the security forces that tirelessly work to defend the country and save lives. Go in peace and return in peace. We stand behind you.
“We must educate our youth to hate war and to rejoice in the cessation of hostilities.” – Yigal Allon.
Projects
“Challenges of the Future” Educational Campus in Harish
Extract from the school principals Lior Leviatan and Tali Holan’s speech upon returning to school: “In every crisis, there are forces that pull us back – hatred, animosity, blame, and political scandal. At times, it is tempting to succumb to them, give up the vision of a just Israeli society, and choose ideas like “only the strong survive,” “we are a nation that dwells alone,” and “we will forever live on the sword.” But there are also creative and constructive forces. These are the forces of hope, mutual support, and connections. They too are deeply rooted in us, such as “all of Israel are responsible for one another,” “love your neighbor as yourself,” and “seek peace and pursue it.”
In the days since October 7, we have encountered both of these forces. As a social school, we choose to strengthen the creative and constructive forces, taking responsibility for ourselves and Israeli society. We aim to restore hope and trust among all Israelis— between Arabs and Jews, between the right and the left, and between citizens and the state. We understand that responsibility for one another creates the support circles that a humane society needs, and this is the path to believing that a better world is possible. Now, it is our life’s mission – to repair.
In the past two weeks, we established a support system in the school that included collecting supplies and food, preparing over 2,000 planks to secure shelters and give a sense of security to Harish residents, and one on one tutoring by our high school students for the elementary school students, when school was not in session in the time when the guidelines did not allow it. The younger children in grades 1-3 were delighted when the older students came to visit them at home״.
Ajyal Movement
The Ajyal Movement, the Arab division of Hashomer Hatzair, aspires to strengthen young leadership among adolescents and nurture them as future leaders. They aim to instill a spirit of social, community, and civic involvement in the youth. Their goal is to promote values of tolerance, respect, and solidarity and to create a culture of discourse that benefits youth and adults.
In Rahat, which was directly affected by one of the early rocket attacks, Ajyal collaborated with the municipality to initiate a program to train young volunteers to provide protection and support to residents. In Nazareth, educational activities are conducted for children from the Arab Arara al-Aramsha village who had to leave their homes.
Nachshonim Youth Houses
Nachshonim Youth Houses operate nationwide, from Nahariya in the north to Ashkelon in the south. These centers educate over 1,500 boys and girls in communities that have been suffering from state neglect for many years. The organization’s goal is to build local leadership from within the neighborhoods, create positive change in the community fabric, and demand that the situation change. Especially now, in a time of deep mistrust between citizens and the state, their role is to be with the youth and their families and create shared leadership platforms to restore trust and build a better and just society for everyone.
The Nachshonim Youth Houses, with the approval of the municipalities, continue to operate the educational frameworks in these neighborhoods to provide a home experience for children and youth whose parents are not available due to work or other reasons.
'HaGivah hostel and seminar center in Givat Haviva'
A unique hospitality center for social groups and informal frameworks. The place is designed to accommodate a wide range of youth and adult groups – movements, organizations, workshops, sports groups, schools, and more. These days the center hosts 300 evacuees from Ashkelon, Sderot, Ofakin and Netivot. Danit Angel, a member of the HaGivah team, explains: “We established a city of love and solidarity. During the terrible events of October 7th, we began to organize the establishment of a facility to accommodate hundreds of families from the south. Already the day after, families began arriving, and day by day, the place filled up, and a ‘blessed routine’ was created for people who experienced the turmoil. Now, the place is full of families from the south and the north, and together with them, we and other partners are operating a real city here, with a kindergarten, leisure activities, psychological support, and more.”
The Hashomer Hatzair Graduates Network
Graduates and alumni of the movement have been called to establish educational systems in various centers where the evacuated communities from the area near Gaza are now located. Many have responded to this impressive recruitment effort, leaving everything behind to come to Eilat, the Dead Sea, Ma’aleh HaHamisha, and more places throughout the country, to build educational teams and other resources to support the needs arising from the situation.
One of the graduates of the movement shared: “During the activities with Nir Oz and Nir Yitzhak, we met different generations of graduates, grandparents, parents and communities in the Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim are happy to see the movement, its educators, and its young members, knowing that their children can be part of meaningful activities so that they can take time to themselves and engage in the much needed adult conversations”.
'HaGivah hostel and seminar center in Givat Haviva'
A unique hospitality center for social groups and informal frameworks. The place is designed to accommodate a wide range of youth and adult groups – movements, organizations, workshops, sports groups, schools, and more. These days the center hosts 300 evacuees from Ashkelon, Sderot, Ofakin and Netivot. Danit Angel, a member of the HaGivah team, explains: “We established a city of love and solidarity. During the terrible events of October 7th, we began to organize the establishment of a facility to accommodate hundreds of families from the south. Already the day after, families began arriving, and day by day, the place filled up, and a ‘blessed routine’ was created for people who experienced the turmoil. Now, the place is full of families from the south and the north, and together with them, we and other partners are operating a real city here, with a kindergarten, leisure activities, psychological support, and more.”
Tzafit Youth Society
‘Youth Society’ is a society of teenagers who lead shared lives in the Tzafit boarding school. Tzafit Youth Society consists of groups, each with its team of counselors. The essence of the activity in Tzafit Youth Society is the creation of a moral, autonomous, and creative society that provides an alternative to a culture of consumption and boredom, placing conversation, deep and sincere encounters, leadership, and creativity at its core. Our goal is to provide each student with the tools to grow into adults with a strong sense of self-worth, personal capabilities, and advanced social skills, developing the next generation of leaders in Israeli society.
Tzafit Youth Society, based in Kibbutz Kfar Menachem, also joined the effort to host residents of the south and soldiers. In the first weeks of the war, hundreds of soldiers and dozens of families were hosted in the boarding school complex in Tzafit. Attached is a thank-you video from the soldiers who left after two weeks and headed south.
The Tzedek Centers
“We choose to stay together in the face of incitement and bigotry and to strengthen one another, especially in these days to rediscover our solidarity, and to channel pain and fear into joint action. We believe that our greatest strength as a society lies precisely here.” The Tzedek Centers is a nationwide grassroots movement that organizes the Israeli public by establishing local communities of activists. From the very first day of the war, the centers opened their doors to residents of the conflict areas, initiated dialogue between Arab and Jewish organizations to prevent internal strife and set up food collection centers. They also established a Russian-speaking branch to provide specific assistance to those who don’t have access to information and services. Another initiative led by the Tzedek Centers in Rishon LeZion is the ‘FREEOURKIDS’ campaign, which gained international exposure to promote immediate release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Hashomer Hatzair Life Movement
Hashomer Hatzair Life Movement is a network of 35 mission-oriented communities, all alumni of Hashomer Hatzair youth movement, living in Israel’s social and geographical periphery working on educational and social issues.
The movement works for a just Israeli society, seeking peace, upholding Jewish and democratic values, and inspired by pioneering Zionism. All members of the movement are involved in education and operate in various educational and social frameworks that encompass many children, adolescents, soldiers, and adults.
From the very first day of the war, the movement’s educators enlisted for action on the home front and on the front line. Many members of the movement redirected their activities, either to establish educational activities for families from the south or to enlist in the reserves. The group of educators joined together with residents to provide local assistance where needed, thereby strengthening social and community resilience.
Haviva Reich's Pre-Military Academy for Humanist Leadership
From the mechina’s website: “Israeli society is undergoing a profound and ongoing values crisis that presents unique challenges to the current period in the life of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state that we are trying to preserve and strengthen. One of the central signs of this crisis is the absence of young, value-driven, determined, and ethical leadership. This is the background to the decision to establish the Haviva Reich Pre-Military Academy for Humanist Leadership.
The mechina’s goal is for its students to go into military service with a deep sense of duty to defend the country’s borders, alongside a belief in the love of humanity and a lack of tolerance for racism or discrimination. The academy’s students will view their military service and command as a first step in their mission to build a just Israeli society and strengthen its democratic institutions.”
The mechina immediately mobilized to implement an around-the-clock educational routine at Givat Haviva for the evacuated families from the south. The students conduct activities, workshops, and serve as meaningful adult figures for the children and their families during this time. Nitai, the educational coordinator of the mechina, explains: “The children who come here are dealing with trauma; many of them haven’t been sleeping at night, and we meet them in the morning when they are tired. We need to adapt our activities to them and help them return to a normal day and night routine. There is an amazing mobilization of our participants dedicating themselves to helping the evacuees. They also help with the children and prepare a community Kabbalat Shabbat for Friday, with the youth.”
Mission Communities
Mission communities are communities of residents who choose to be partners with each other, uniting in a communal framework working to improve life in the neighborhood and the city. The community operates internally to build a common social life structure through community events, shared training, mutual support system, and functions as a social task force for the neighborhood and the city.
It is precisely at this time that mission communities are needed, that know how to respond to emergencies in a way that meets the needs of residents. In Harish, Rishon LeZion, and other cities, we have organized local initiatives to meet any needs that arise of the neighborhood and the city, ensuring children’s safety in children’s frameworks, assisting evacuayed families in the city, educational activities in shelters, and more.
דווקא בעת הזו נחוצה קהילה משימתית היודעת להגיב בחירום באופן כזה שיתן מענה לכלל הצרכים של התושבות והתושבים. בחריש, בראשון לציון ובערים נוספות התארגנו יוזמות מקומיות שמטרתן לתת מענה לצרכים שעולים בשכונה ובעיר: הדאגה לאבטחה במסגרות הילדים, סיוע למשפחות המפונים בעיר, פעילות חינוכית במקלטים ועוד.
עדכונים
קראו את הכתבה של רן שמעוני מהארץ: “מרוב פליטים, מצוקת תושבי אשקלון הפכה לשקופה. הם מצאו מקלט בגבעת חביבה, בינתיים”
