HABONIM DROR

Israel Programs

Messima

Messima (service-learning) is a truly unique part of Workshop that sets the program apart from other gap year programs. Messima is not just the act of volunteering or contributing to tzedakah; rather, Workshop participants will actively contribute to the building of social justice and peace by being a part of Israeli society. Participants lead a variety of service-learning projects with Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed (NOAL), Habonim Dror North America's sister youth movement. For more on NOAL, click here.

Participating in a messima ultimately allows for a deep, immersive experience. Together with Israeli communarim, youth movement leaders their age, participants will either work with Jewish and Arab-Israeli children, recent immigrant youth, working youth, or youth at risk to run educational programming on topics such as coexistence, peace, world Jewry, and much more! They may also teach English and lead groups of youth on tiyulim (hiking trips), or participate in more active projects such helping to repair and renovate youth movement centers and buildings so that they are safe and fun places for all kids.

What Makes Messima Special?

From a member of Workshop 67:

"My Messima is leading groups of tenth and eleventh graders in HaNoar Haoved VeHalomed, Habonim Dror's sister movement in Israel, at Ken Shoham, the movement youth center in Shoham. I lead the groups (kvutzot) with another person from Workshop, and an Israeli our age. With our kvutzot we use informal educational methods to teach about social justice, youth empowerment, Zionism, and more. Some mornings, we also come to schools to run activities and informal lessons. My favorite part of being in the ken is getting to sit with the kids in the kvutzot I lead and talking with them about how leading their activities went. Sometimes we all stay until an hour after everything's ended just to hang out. Messima has been such an amazing experience and I've learned a lot about what it means to be a madricha from the relationships I've developed with my partners and my chanichimot, and I'm going to miss them so much."

HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed

HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (The Working and Studying Youth) is the largest and most diverse youth movement in Israel today. Founded in 1924 by working-youth who came together to defend their rights in the workplace, HaNoar HaOved – later merging with HaTnua HaMeuchedet in 1959 to become HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed – was the first Zionist youth movement established in the land of Israel. From its founding until today, HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (NOAL) has been instrumental in leading Israeli society and seeking to fulfill the Zionist vision laid out by the founders of the country and in the Declaration of Independence. Today, with hundreds of branches, centers and clubhouses operating in cities, towns, moshavim, and kibbutzim across the country, NOAL seeks to bring that vision forward into the 21st century.