On the Escalating Violence in Israel and Palestine

May 11, 2021

Our hearts are heavy as we write to you all yet again about the loss of human lives. Shortly after the statement that we posted yesterday, Hamas and other Palestinian militants began firing hundreds of rockets into Israel. Israel responded by bombing Gaza, and the escalation of violence is continuing even as we write these words. While we stand by our statement from yesterday, we also know that the overall situation has deteriorated rapidly and will continue to change. 

As tempting as it is to be left with feelings of hopelessness, we do not have that privilege. As tempting as it is to try to center one voice over others, we know that this is not an effective approach to such a complicated and nuanced situation. Lives are being lost. People are living in fear. We continue to center the value of human lives in our processing of these tragedies. We will continue to work for and dream of an Israel where no one, neither Palestinian nor Israeli, has to worry about bombs or rockets being fired at their homes. We can believe all of this because we are a movement that values human lives, shivyon erech ha’adam, above all else. We stand strongly and loudly in solidarity with the Palestinian and Israeli civilians affected by this violence, including the Habonim Dror olim and our partners in NOAL, and are sending love and strength to them. 

We wanted to end this by looking towards the future, but it currently feels somewhat impossible to imagine a future where this reality is long gone and both Jewish and Palestinian liberation can be realized. What we can say is that in those dreams, we will continue to center the voices and experiences of the people who are doing work on the ground and whose lives are being directly affected. We urge everyone to put humanity, Israeli and Palestinian lives, and shivyon erech ha’adam at the core of their actions and conversations moving forward. Only when all people deeply understand the value of each and every life will we be able to see a future that is worth dreaming about.

Condemning the Human Rights Violations in Sheikh Jarrah

May 10, 2021

Dear T’nua, 

We are heartbroken and infuriated by the immense human rights violations happening in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in Jerusalem. Four Palestinian families are facing forced expulsions from their homes by the Israeli government. Palestinian protestors who are fighting for their right to remain in their homes are facing immense violence and brutalization from Israeli settlers, the IDF, and the Israeli police.

We wanted to share the attached statement with you, written by the HDNA Zionism Va’ad and the Mazkirut Artzit, which includes a list of ways you can take action.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
HDNA Zionism Va’ad & Mazkirut Artzit 

Statement:

As many of you have heard at this point, the Israeli government will likely be moving forward
with the eviction of four Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood
in Jerusalem. As if that was not enough, Palestinian protesters who are speaking out against
these forced expulsions have been met with brutality and violence from Israeli settlers, the IDF,
and the Israeli police. We are heartbroken and infuriated by these immense human rights
violations, and strongly believe in the rights of these families to keep their homes in Sheikh
Jarrah.

Sheikh Jarrah is a neighborhood in East Jerusalem where 28 Palestinian families originally
resettled in 1956, following the expulsion from their homes. These families had reached an
agreement with the Jordanian Ministry of Construction and Development and the UN refugee
agency UNRWA to provide safe housing for them, as the West Bank was under Jordanian rule
at that time. With the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the homes were never able to
be registered under the names of the families. Israeli settler organizations have been seeking
the expulsion of these families, of which there are now 38, in the years since then. Earlier this
year, the Israeli Center Court ruled that four of these families must either leave their homes, or
reach an agreement with these settler organizations and recognize them as landlords. While the
final verdict from the Israeli Supreme Court has been delayed until May 10, the urgency has not
faltered, and more families are expected to be expelled in the coming months.

We are absolutely disgusted by this blatant veiling of these violent expulsions as private land
ownership disputes. As a socialist organization, we strongly believe that there should never be a
situation in which the government is evicting people from their homes. Furthermore, we
condemn the acts of the Israeli government and these settler organizations as they propel us
farther and farther from an Israel that sees Jewish liberation as inherently tied to Palestinian
liberation. We additionally condemn those who are using the guise of Zionism to defend these
actions. We believe that Jewish self-determination is inherently tied with Palestinian liberation
and justice. We call upon other Jewish organizations to speak out against this grave injustice,
and in America, we refuse to be claimed by a government that gives unconditional militaristic
support to Israel on “our behalf.” We stand in solidarity with all Palestinians who have been met
with extreme violence and hatred as they fight for their right to live in their homes. Our hearts
ache and burn for the lives that have been lost to this violence, such as the life of 16-year-old
Saeed Odeh, and may their memories be both a blessing and a revolution.

It is monumentally important that now and always, we as members of HDNA are taking action
against the inhumane and violent actions of the Israeli government. The Zionism Va’ad is
working on compiling a list of resources but for now, here is an incomprehensive list of ways that
you can get involved:

DONATE → If you have the means, donate to an organization or find ways to redistribute your wealth. People in Sheikh Jarrah are not asking for donations at this time, but there are many Palestinian and coexistence organizations that could use support.

 

Aleh v’Hagshem,

HDNA Zionism Va’ad & Mazkirut Artzit 5781

Condemning Anti-Asian Racism

March 18, 2021

Dear T’nua, 

As most of you know by now, 8 people, a majority of whom were Asian American women, were murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime on Tuesday. We mourn for them, for their families, and for the Asian community who are forced to live in fear of violence resulting from xenophobia and racism. 

We wanted to share the attached statement with you, which includes a list of resources and ways that you can take action. May the memories of those whose lives were ended on Tuesday be a blessing and a revolution.

Aleh v’Hagshem, 
Mazkirut Artzit 5781

Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Racism

#LeadTheHaboWay with Zach Boroda

Zach Boroda from Galil

Summer 2020 is a unique one in Habonim Dror North America history, with machanot meeting virtually or for day camps during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re asking our dedicated madrichimot what it’s been like to continue to #LeadTheHaboWay during this unprecedented time. 

Why did you choose to be a madrichol during the summer?

I chose to be a madrich this summer because I wanted to continue the traditions of camp through the pandemic. I wanted to make sure that machaneh existed as a space for my chanichimot in the same way that it existed for me.

How does it feel to meet chanichimot during this specific summer?

It is always an amazing experience meeting my chanichimot during the summer. This year despite all of our interactions taking place virtually it was still very exciting meeting my chanichimot.

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Zionism Zine

In HDNA we are often very busy educating and acting, but, especially as we enter a new year, we sometimes need to create and reflect. Check out this zine filled with art, writing, and poetry created by HDNA ma’apilimot, about the beauty, nuances, and challenges of Zionism. Thank you and kol hakavod to all the contributors! View select artwork from the zine below, or click here to view the full zine.

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#LeadTheHaboWay with Eliza Smith

Eliza Smith from Camp Gilboa

Summer 2020 is a unique one in Habonim Dror North America history, with machanot meeting virtually or for day camps during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re asking our dedicated madrichimot what it’s been like to continue to #LeadTheHaboWay during this unprecedented time. 

Why did you choose to be a madrichol during the summer?

Honestly, I was not that excited to work with kids this summer. I was planning on being Techni and spending most of my time in front of spreadsheets, so when I realized I would actually be spending most of my time planning and running programming, my brain had to do a bit of a switch. Even when I got used to the idea, I wasn’t confident that kids would be enthusiastic. How much fun can you really have over zoom? But I have been so so amazingly surprised. I’ve found that the kids have a genuine desire to be there and engage with the content we are bringing them in a way that makes all the work and screen time worth it.

Describe a peula you ran where you felt like you were making a difference for the chanichimot.

I ran a peula for bonimot (9th graders) zman kvutsa where we played a dungeons and dragons type game in which the kids’ quest was to get elected president. When we planned it, I wasn’t sure how much they would get into it. It demanded a lot of creativity and silliness to actually be fun, but they totally rose to the challenge. One chanichol was a hotdog who turned out to be a hamburger, but was able to recover her campaign through an instagram live, and another came up with the genius slogan “a vote for me is a vote for me.” I laughed the entire time. 

#LeadTheHaboWay with Hadas Kluger

Hadas Kluger from Camp Tavor

Summer 2020 is a unique one in Habonim Dror North America history, with machanot meeting virtually or for day camps during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re asking our dedicated madrichimot what it’s been like to continue to #LeadTheHaboWay during this unprecedented time. 

Why did you choose to be a madrichol during the summer?

Last summer was my first summer being a madrichol, and it was such a rewarding experience I knew I wanted to do it again. Then going on Workshop solidified how much I want and love to be a madricha, and how much I thrive off of helping others and giving back, just like my madrichimot did for me. I wanted to create an environment where even though obviously we’re not at Tavor this summer, we could all get together and support our community together. I was still be able to be a madricha with all the new things that I’ve learned on Workshop, even though it wasn’t the same as if we were at Tavor.

How does it feel to meet chanichimot during this specific summer?

It was really cool to try something new and be online and run different chuggim for kids. It didn’t feel exactly like it always did at machaneh. It was a cool challenge to try something new and be creative and still be able to talk to chanichim and have a relationship with them and catch up from wherever we left off last year.

Describe a peula you ran where you felt like you were making a difference for the chanichimot.

I ran a chug with another girl called the Tavor Turnip where we invited chanichimot every Wednesday to come and write satirical news articles. So some we’re like writing about their experiences at camp, or a survey about what do you like more, the chof or the brecha, things like that. Over the four weeks we were able to make a newspaper that’s coming out hopefully very soon. That gave them a purpose and made them feel connected, and it was really sweet. There were a bunch of young chanichimot who were really excited that they were like doing three different tafkidim all in one hour of when we were meeting. It was very interesting to catch up with them.

#LeadTheHaboWay with Jaymie Feldman

Jaymie Feldman from Camp Gesher

Summer 2020 is a unique one in Habonim Dror North America history, with machanot meeting virtually or for day camps during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re asking our dedicated madrichimot what it’s been like to continue to #LeadTheHaboWay during this unprecedented time. 

Why did you choose to be a madrichol during the summer?

I chose to be a madrichol during the summer because for so many years I was fortunate enough to have the most incredible experiences at machaneh due to my tzevet, and I wanted to be able to pass that onto the chanichimot. I felt that it was especially important to be a madrichol during this specific summer, because although we are not able to be together in person, I want to make sure that the chanichimot never forget the magic of machaneh and kvutzah no matter how far apart they may be. 

How does it feel to meet chanichimot during this specific summer?

Meeting with chanichimot this summer has truly been a unique experience. Although at first it felt weird not to be together in person, our virtual check-ins, activities, and peulot very quickly became just as meaningful and fun as they would have been at machaneh. Every time I have a call with my chanichimot, I can feel the ruach and love through my computer screen and it always leaves me smiling for hours.

Describe a peula you ran where you felt like you were making a difference for the chanichimot.

I recently ran a virtual peula for my chanichimot where I tried to help them cope with their feelings of missing machaneh as a physical space. I had noticed many chanichimot feeling sad about this and I wanted us all to work through it together. For this peula, all of the chanichimot had the opportunity to draw pictures of their favourite places and/or memories of machaneh and then present them to the kvutzah. This activity allowed them to use creativity as an outlet for any feelings they were having towards the lack of our in-person summer in a positive way. I was able to aid the chanichimot and myself in turning sad and nostalgic thoughts into happy memories and excitement for the future. 

#LeadTheHaboWay with Daniel Fine and Rachel Eaton

Summer 2020 is a unique one in Habonim Dror North America history, with machanot meeting virtually or for day camps during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re asking our dedicated madrichimot what it’s been like to continue to #LeadTheHaboWay during this unprecedented time. 

Why did you choose to be a madrichol this summer? 

Rachel, Shani and I chose to be madrichimot for the madatz at Miriam in a summer that we thought would be ideal and normal. These choices kind of seemed natural as the next steps we wanted to take in the movement but the harder choice that we didn’t think we were making when we signed up to do this, was to be madrichimot during a crisis..This required a second choice to reaffirm ourselves to not only choose to be madatz madrichimot but also to try and be madatz madrichimot without knowing exactly what the summer is going to look like…In the end we chose it and we chose it because we knew that specifically at Miriam we had a huge opportunity to create an experience for our chanichimot that not a lot of other machanot in the movement were able to create. 

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