The end is nigh!

Dear parents,

It has been a busy busy April on workshop! The month started off with the workshoppers planning and running the pasechet english speaking camps all across the country. In conjunction with Hanoar Haoved, the workshoppers were involved in 4 days of peulot, english teaching, hiking, and getting to know the youth of Israel from all over the country! The workshoppers were involved with communities from Akko, Haifa, Tiberias, and even Dimona! The machanot were a huge success, and the workshoppers had meaningful experiences and created strong ties both with the younger chanichim at the machane, and with their co-madrichim from Hanoar Haoved. Needless to say, it also provided the workshoppers with some strong tools and leadership ideas to take back to their communities and machanot.

The workshoppers also created their own seders leading into the pesach chofesh break. With some helpful assistance from their madrichim, the workshoppers planned and ran evenings for themselves, retelling the story of the exodus from Egypt as only Workshop 58 can. They also cooked up a storm and by the end of the night, it was clear that everyone needed a few days to recover! It was truly inspirational to see the workshoppers create a meaningful kvutsa experience for Pesach, and it shows how far they have come in terms of working together and growing as a group of extraordinary young leaders.

The Pesach chofesh period was a good time to relax and unwind for the workshoppers before coming back for a busy and packed last month of the program. The last week and a half has been a truly Israeli experience, with Yom Hashoa, Yom Hazikaron, and Yom Haatzmaut all being big experiences for the workshop kvutsot.

For Yom Hashoa, the workshop kvutsot were given a guided tour around the newest exhibition in the Ghetto Fighters' Museum at the Ghetto Fighters' kibbutz. The exhibition details the history of the Dutch Jewish community, and the tragedy of the holocaust in Dutch Jewish history. The workshoppers then stayed at the museum for the national tekkes (ceremony) that closes Yom Hashoa in Israel. and even though the tekkes was in Hebrew, we succeeded in finding enough translaters in the vast Habonim crowd to give the workshoppers a good idea of what was going on!

Last weekend the workshoppers got a great opportunity to mingle and get to know the new Southern Hemisphere (Australia/New Zealand/South Africa) kvutsot, at the english speaking seminar. The theme of the seminar was May Day, and concepts of Union and Solidarity in society today. There was strong discussion between the chanichim about the difficulties of creating union and solidarity in our societies today, and the movements' place in dealing with those challenges. The seminar was also a good starting point for the movements' participation in the annual May Day Rally, which will take place in Tel-Aviv tomorrow. And even with all the serious discussion, there was still plenty of room for friendly laughs, and some strong personal connections came out of the seminar. It was also a great learning experience for the workshoppers to understand the other movements and how they function.

On Erev Yom Hazikaron, the workshoppers attended a national tekkes at one of the most historic sites in the modern history of Israel, Ammunition Hill. The tekkes was attended by hundreds of other participants of MASA year programs in Israel, and was definitely a moving experience for all involved. To be able to understand the complexity of the state of Israel by standing side by side with Israeli society on a day such as yom ha'atzmaut was definitely a highlight of the year.

The following day was Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, and a day of celebration for all. the workshoppers had a chofesh day, so they were free to travel and engage with Israeli society on it's most celebrated holiday. And like all good Israelis, celebrate they did!

Today the workshoppers did an educational siyur about the complexities of the separation fence, and the issues surrounding the arguments for and against. they examined the human elements of the conflict, and the impact of the conflict on the lives of everyday Israelis and Palestinians. It was an interesting experience for all, and definitely gave the workshoppers things to ponder about the situation in Israel today.

The coming month is packed with exciting events for the workshop 58 kvutsot! They will be finishing up their messimot in the next 2 weeks, and as sad as it seems (well i guess except for parents who are awaiting their return!), the workshoppers have started to prepare for the journey home. We will be looking at the impact of one of the great Zionists next week, Theodore Herzl, on national Yom Herzl Day. We also have a final tiyul in the Golan Heights in 2 weeks, and then we will be heading off to sikkum seminar before flying out.

It's hard to believe that Workshop is coming to an end, but i have to say that, on a personal note, workshop 58 are an inspirational and wonderful group of young leaders. They have met every challenge thus far head on, and are a huge asset both to their communities, and to the movement, and I'm sure that the next 3 weeks will be no exception.

I have attached some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Until next time,

Leon.

Paul puts up a fight on the ping pong table!

Paul at Messima - forming bonds with Israeli society

Clare with her chanich - lasting relationships to Israeli society

The Karmiel kvutsa Seder!

Smiling faces as Shulchan Orech approaches!

The Journey to Poland

Dear Parents,

Hello to you all! I hope that all of you and your families and communities had a chag sameach and enjoyed some joyful Purim festivities in your areas. Workshop is still rolling along, and now with Poland behind us, we are rapidly approaching some more highlights of the workshop year.

The Poland trip is traditionally one of the most meaningful and touching experiences for any workshop group. This year was no different. I wanted to give you all an insight into the day-to-day experience of the workshoppers in our Poland trip last week.

After being stuck on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion airport for well over an hour without moving, our plane finally flew out to Warsaw on Monday morning. Once we arrived, we quickly hopped onto our massive 69 seater bus, and started another long journey from Warsaw to Krakow (about 5 hours). Once we arrived, the kvutsot toured the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, where Jews lived side-by-side with Poles for around 400 years. We visited a number of older and more recent synagogues in the community, as well as one of the earlier reform synagogues.

Our first full day in Poland was a tough one. We travelled the short distance from Krakow to Birkenau, the largest of the concentration and death camps in Poland. We spent the morning going through the site, and understanding the tragedy of what happened in Birkenau. From there we travelled to Aushwitz, the original camp, where the groups had a chance to understand the way of life for prisoners and victimisers within the camps. We visited the prison and the 'shooting wall,' as well as the original gas chamber and the prisoner barracks.
All in all it was a difficult day for the workshoppers, and one which I am sure they will remember for a long time.

On Wednesday we had a slightly less miserly schedule. We spent the morning in the city of krakow, in some of the famous sites of the Krakow Ghetto, including the famous Krakow Ghetto Pharmacy, which was a major centre of the Krakow Ghetto uprising (slightly less well known than the Warsaw uprising - but happened beforehand).
We also visited the site of the infamous Plaszow Labour camp, on the outskirts of Krakow, made famous in the movie 'Schindler's List.' Today there is nothing standing on the site, aside from a huge monument. Given that we had watched Schindlers list on the bus the previous day, it gave the workshoppers a greater insight into what had been standing on the site, and Schindler's famous role in saving massive amount of Jews from the camp.

The workshoppers were also given two hours free time to walk around the famous Sukiniecze market square in Krakow, for lunch and general shopping. It allowed the group to get a small insight into some of the more contemporary cultures and ways of life in Poland, and to also get a few goodies for themselves.

After our free time we made our way to Lublin for the night, and the following morning was spent touring the city of Lublin, which was a Nazi stronghold during the Shoah. There were a number of major Nazi military and intelligence centres based around the city, and it gave the group a chance to understand what the inner fabric of Nazi Society was like, and how it operated.
In the afternoon the group travelled to one of the more infamous death camps, Majdanek. The camp is still standing as it was during the Nazi regime, and was a challenging emotional experience for all of the participants. The gas chamber and crematorium, as well as the prisoners barracks are all still standing, and the landscape of the city of Lublin on the horizon makes for a surreal experience. Lublin began only about 50 metres from the fences of Majdanek.

After leaving Majdanek, we made our way to our final destination for the journey - Warsaw.

Friday morning was spent walking around the area of Warsaw that was used as the Jewish Ghetto during the Shoah. We saw remaining elements of the ghetto wall, as well as the old Judenrat (Jewish council) building. It gave us a chance to really try to understand the reality of the hardships and challenges of Ghetto life for the Jews in the Shoah.
On Friday afternoon we went to the Polish uprising monument, and discussed the Polish underground and the rebellion against the Nazis in 1944. We rounded out the day with some free time in the old city of Warsaw, which was destroyed by the Nazis in 1944 but rebuilt. The workshoppers had a chance to pick up some souvenirs, or taste some fine Polish chocolate!

On Saturday we travelled out to Tykocin, and old shtetl about two and a half hours drive out of Warsaw. We discussed the story of the destruction of the Jewish community there, and then drove to the nearest forest, Lopochova, where they were taking to their deaths. One of the groups of workshoppers did a moving tekkes (ceremony) there, and the story was a sad and sombre memory of the smaller communities that were destroyed in the Shoah.
In the afternoon we travelled to the site of the Death camp Treblinka, and had a chance to hear the story of the uprising of the Jewish prisoners there, and to hear the story of Janusz Korczak, the great Jewish educator who was sent to his death in the notorious death camp.

Our final day of the trip was spent recounting the steps of our very own movement, Dror, and the places where it existed in, and out of the ghetto in Warsaw. Our final afternoon retraced the memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Rebellion, and the youth movement fighters who held the Nazi regime out for almost a month in stopping the liquidation of the ghetto. We visited the monument of the final resting place for most of the fighters, Mila 18, as well as the Rappaport Monument, in memory of the fallen fighters of the Ghetto.

Our final evening on the trip was out in a restaurant, where we were treated to a show of traditional Polish folk dancing, where the workshoppers also showed their gusto in getting up and joining the Polish dancers on the dancefloor.
Tired and weary, we boarded our flight at around 11pm on Sunday night, and arrived safely back in Israel in the early hours of monday morning. It was a journey which seemed like it lasted forever, but also felt like it was over in a flash. Although one thing is for certain - it was a meaningful and moving journey for everyone involved.

I am attaching a few pictures from the journey, and i will probably have a few more up over the weekend.

I wish you all a shabbat shalom, and a safe and happy weekend.

Until next time!
Leon

Workshop remembering the tragedy of Aushwitz

Workshop in Birkenau

Outside of the old Maccabi Warsaw soccer stadium

In the old synagogue in the shtelt, Tykocin

The workshop and British kvutsot together in front of the remains of the old training farm centre of Dror in Warsaw, Grochov Street.

Security Update - February 21

Dear Parents,

Shavua tov to all. This morning there was an incident on the northern border where a rocket was fired into Israel from Lebanon. The rocket landed by a village in the Galilee, and two people were lightly injured. All of the workshoppers are fine and accounted for, and there have been no changes in the security directions from the Israel Experience.

I know a number of you are still waiting for the pics, and there should be some up through the week. I'll be in touch with more updates!

I wish you all a safe and healthy week, and i will let you all know as to any security changes.

Regards,

Leon.

Security Update - January 31

Dear Parents,

I hope you have all had a relaxing and peaceful shabbat, and i hope that for those of you in the freezing temperatures that i am hearing about in America and Canada, have had a chance to stay warm indoors! I just wanted to update you all on some security changes in regards to the security outlines of the Israel Experience.

The Israel Experience has changed the security outline to what the measures were before the Gaza Operation. In regards to what that means, and how it changes the measures that were last published, the following changes have been made:

- The new 'buffer' zone that cannot be entered into around Gaza is a 7km Radius around the Gaza Strip. That area covers the city of Sderot, as well as a few kibbutzim in that zone.

- Participants are now free to travel to the boardwalk in Tel-Aviv at all time.

- It is free to travel to, and within, the old city of Akko

- Entry and travel to mixed (Jewish/Arab) villages, and Arab villages, is permitted under the new security outlines.

- The warnings that were established around travel to the old city still stand, with entry only allowed to the Jewish Quarter through the Zion Gate, and strong recommendations to not be at the Kotel (Western Wall) between the hours of 11:00 and 14:00 on Fridays.

The past month has not been an easy time for anyone in Israel, or anyone who has loved ones in Israel, but i want to sincerely thank all of you for your patience and understanding through this difficult time in Israel. With the current ceasefire, and with elections in Israel in just over a week, we are all hoping for a future filled with peace, tranquility, and dialogue.

As always, the security department continues to monitor any situations in Israel, and as any updates happen, I will keep you all informed.

Shavua Tov to everyone!

Leon.

Kaveret rolling into motion

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to a nice and relaxing weekend. The past few weeks for the workshoppers have been full of excitement and adventure, as well as some new discoveries in their communal lives.

The Kaveret program has been going for about 4 weeks now, and most of the tzevetim (small groups of madrichim) are getting to be well established in their volunteering projects all over the north. Each city (Karmiel & Akko) are split up into 3 different volunteering projects, and all of them are based in or around the cities in which they live.

For the Akko group - they have three tzevetim, of which one works in a school and after-school club in Haifa, one works in a school in Akko, and the third works in the co-existence tzevet, dealing primarily with Israeli Arabs in villages in the surrounds.

For Karmiel - they have one tzevet who works in a school and club in Carmiel, one in a school in Tzfat, and the third tzevet is partnered with some of the Akko kvutsa in the co-existence tzevet.

The group spends 3 days a week in the schools, of which half a day is committed to a 'yom tzevet,' a time when they can sit down with the guides who are assisting them and partnering them through the experience, for learning and dealing with some of the more difficult questions revolving around their experiences with Israeli youth.

Hebrew has also started up again after the break, and it gives the workshoppers another avenue to continue improving and raising their level of hebrew. Now that they are immersed within Israeli society, not just in their projects but also with shopping, travel, and other daily interactions, every bit of Hebrew can only help in their experience of Israeli life.

The group has also been going through an intense hadracha (leadership) theory course on Thursdays, and has delved into questions of what it means to be a leader, personal example, working as a group, as well as many other relevant issues in being a leader within the movement and machane.

The workshops groups also had their first Poland preparation seminar a few weeks ago, and began to explore the Shoah and the way that we view and remember it today, both in the movement and within our home communities. They will be doing their second preparation seminar in the 2nd week of February, where the groups will be spending two days at the Ghetto Fighters' Museum near Nahariya, a museum that was built and maintained by survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It will definitely be a big highlight, and will deal with lots of questions and impressions of the Shoah and how we see it today. Of course it won't be long till we will be on a plane and off to Poland ourselves!

So that's where things are at the moment on Workshop. With the Gaza operation over, we are hoping that life will return at a slightly more non-exciting level and pace, but that the steam train that is Workshop will continue rolling along at high speed!

I will endeavour to add some photos of the workshoppers in their living environments, both in their houses in Akko & Karmiel, and in their volunteering projects, in the next blog update.

Until then i would like to wish you all a safe and relaxing weekend.

Regards,

Leon.

Security Update - January 14

Dear Parents,

As some of you may be aware, three rockets fell this morning in open area around Kiryat Shemona, an Israeli city in the Northern Galilee. At this point in time there has been ongoing monitoring of the northern border with Lebanon, but there have been no changes to the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd, as detailed in the previous posts.

All of the workshoppers were made aware of what happened this morning, and none of them were near the affected area. We will be updating them, as well as the blog, as soon as there are any new developments.

I would like to wish everyone a great day, and i hope for better news for all of Israel in the coming days.

Leon.

Security Update - January 10

Dear Parents,

Shavua Tov! I hope that you have all had a relaxing weekend and an enjoyable shabbat. I just wanted to fill you all in on both the current security guidelines and protocol, as well as give you an update of the workshoppers settling into their new surroundings in Akko & Karmiel.

Since my last blog entry two days ago, the situation in the North remains the same. Under the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd, there is freedom of movement for all programs along the northern border of the country. The security division of the Israel Experience is monitoring the situation very closely, and as anything changes we will update both participants and parents as early as possible.

I also wanted to relate to the security process that we undergo, as a number of parents have asked about contingency plans, and have compared the current situation to the situation that the group experienced on MBI in 2006. The security process that stands behind the program is the same security process that stood behind the MBI program in 2006. The reason why the group was continuously moved south in 2006 was because the security division of the Israel Experience Ltd created an imaginary line across the country, through which groups adhered to when undertaking their program activities. At no point were groups permitted to travel north of that security line, and MBI in 2006 adhered to those security guidelines stringently. Travelling north of that line, which extended south of Haifa, would have placed the group and it's participants in potential harm, according to the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd.

At this point in time, there is no security line in the north of Israel. The minute that the Israel Experience security division notifies us that there are areas in the north deemed unsafe, according to their security guidelines, then we will re-assess the situation. If the groups in Akko and Karmiel are north of those lines, then we will act immediately to move them south, in conjunction with the Israel Experience guidelines, and we will move them to temporary housing locations in the centre of the country.

I understand all of your concerns and worries in regards to security throughout Israel at this time. All I can ask is to have trust in the security protocol and decision-making processes of the program co-ordinators, and of the Israel Experience Ltd. The security and safety of the Workshop participants is of paramount importance to everyone, and will not be compromised for anything.

This week, the workshoppers will begin their educational volunteering projects in Akko, Karmiel, and the surrounding areas. The group had a chance to see some of the schools and educational institutions in which they will be working last Wednesday, when they did a tour of some of the places and met a number of the guides and teachers that they will be working with. Needless to say, the group is very inspired to begin this exciting new chapter of Workshop, and I will post an outline of their educational projects on the blog in the coming days to let all of you know exactly where they will be and what they will be doing.

I would like to wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy week. I'll be posting again soon so watch this space!

Regards,

Leon.

Additional Security Update - January 8

Dear Parents,

As of 12:30pm Israel time today the security warnings for the northern border of Israel were lifted, and the workshoppers are free to travel through the North with full security. We are continuing to monitor the situation very tightly, and will keep both parents and workshoppers updated with every change that comes to hand. We have also emphasized the importance to all of the participants of having their mobile phones on, and charged, at all times.
The Workshop group has shwown a high level of responsibility and maturity in their co-operation with the changing security guidelines since the beginning of the Gaza military operation, and are excellent ambassadors in Israel of both the movement, and their communities.

I would like to wish everyone a safe weekend and shabbat shalom.

Regards,

Leon.

Security Update - January 8

Dear parents,

Approximately two hours ago (7:30am Wednesday morning), 4 rockets were fired from Southern Lebanon into Israel. These rockets fell in and around the northern city of Nahariya.
The Israel Experience issued a security warning immediately, and basically outlined a buffer zone where program participants could not travel to, which is north of the Akko-Tsfat line.
At this point in time, Akko and Karmiel are both safe, according to the security line outlined. I spoke this morning with Silvio Joskowitz, Habonim Dror's World Mazkir, and with Meir Hoyzman, who is the manager of the North American division of the Israel Experience, who both gave assurances that, security-wise, remaining in Akko and Karmiel is adequate for the current situation. I will be maintaining close contact with them, and with the security division of the Israel experience, in regards to any updates and/or changes in the situation.
The workshoppers have a closed weekend this weekend, and will be with their madrichim throughout. We will all be very closely monitoring the situation in the North, and will ensure that any changes will be responded to swiftly and responsibly.

I wish all of you a great day, and the hope for better news for everyone soon.

Regards,
Leon.

Security Guidelines - January 3

Dear Parents,

As some of you may be aware, the Israeli Defense Forces this evening launched a ground offensive in Gaza. At the present moment, the security stipulations for all of the Israel Experience programs has not changed from the outline which I posted yesterday.
As any and all changes take place, they will be posted at the earliest available possibility on the blog.

I would like to wish everyone a shavua tov, and a happy and healthy week.

Regards,

Leon

Security Guidelines - January 2

Dear Parents,

Firstly i would like to wish everyone a happy new year, and i hope that 2009 has thus far been healthy and safe for all of you. I wanted to address some concerns in regards to the current security guidelines of the program, in light of the ongoing operation of the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza.

There are 4 concerns in regards to the new security guidelines that have been issued by the Israel Experience, and the guidelines reflect responses to these general topics:

1 - The firing of rockets from Gaza into the southern region of Israel.
2 - Demonstrations in the Arab sector of Israel, specifically in East Jerusalem and some northern areas.
3 - Warnings from Hamas of terrorist attacks within Israel.
4 - The possibility of a northern attack from the Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Israel experience has certified a number of newer security warnings, as well as re-iterated a number of pre-existing warnings from the beginning of the program, to ensure that participants comply with those warnings at this time. The current security guidelines, in regards to potential risks, are as follows:

- Chanichim are not allowed within a 40km radius of the Gaza Strip. This area extends from Yavne to the west to Gedera in the east, and curves around south to Beer-Sheva. Travel to the south can be done via Road 6 until Kama Intersection, and then bypassing Beer-Sheva via the Arad road.

- No entrance to Arab villages in the North, including the Old City of Acco. Druze Hospitality is allowed in the Carmel region.

- No travel along Road 90 North (from Almog Junction to Beit Shean) or Road 1 West (Jerusalem to Almog Junction) after nightfall.
This is a guideline which has been in place since the beginning of the program. We do not currently allow any travel on this part of Road 90 or Road 1 West.

- East Jerusalem and the Old City: No travel to the Arab neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, as stipulated in the beginning of the program. Entry to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City is via the Zion Gate only. No visiting to the Kotel on Fridays between 11:00-14:00 (again, this guideline has been in place since the beginning of workshop, due to infrequent examples of tension at the kotel during these times).

- Participants should not go to the malls in the following cities: Netanya, Kfar Saba, Hadera, Raanana, Petach Tikva. There has been no specific warning in regards to attacks, but there is a precautionary warning against malls in these cities.

- Participants should not travel to the Tel-Aviv boardwalk, between the Dolphinarium and 'Sites Square'. after the hours of 10pm.

I also wanted to explain some of the processes that the program is taking to ensure that the participants don't put themselves into a situation that could present possible risk or danger.

- All participants must be in contact with their madrichim (counselors) DAILY, by telephone. The madrichim have outlines of travel plans for all of the participants, so any potential risks need to be changed by the participants, at the discretion of the program co-ordinators in conjunction with the security guidelines. In addition, all changes in the participants' plans must be confirmed with their madrichim.

- The madrichim are contactable 24 hours through the day, and we are also insisting that the participants keep their phones ON for 24 hours, so that they are contactable if situations or security guidelines change.

- In regards to the warning on the Old city of Akko - up to this point there have been no reported incidents of tension or violence in the area, and the warnings are precautionary. We will be talking to the group in Akko on Sunday, when they all return, in regards to this warning. The Old city is about 8 kilometres form the Workshop house near the train station.

- As for the warnings about travel to Arab villages in the North; In the coming weeks the workshoppers will begin their 'messimot' (volunteering projects), which at this point includes some Arab villages in the north. We will not send any participants into these villages without a complete security clearance beforehand.

- A few parents have expressed concern over the possibility of a northern attack from Lebanon. In this case, we will relocate all of the workshoppers temporarily to the centre of the country. We have a couple of different potential options, and we would have them evacuated as early as possible. When the group comes back together on Sunday, we will outline the nearest bomb shelters and the procedure for attack warnings and sirens, to ensure that all of the workshoppers understand their responsibilities in following any necessary security steps in their new homes.

I understand all of your concerns over the past week in regards to the security situation in Israel, and i hope that these guidelines have given all of you a better understanding as to the extent of our security monitoring of the program through the Israel Experience. I will post any changes to the security situation in Israel as early as i can in the coming days, and as i receive them. I am attaching two maps of the security buffer zone surrounding Gaza at this time, to give you an idea of the 'No Go' Zone at this point in time.

A map from Homefront Command outlining areas which have guidelines
places on them surrounding Gaza

A map roughly outlining the restricted area for program participants

I hope that these outlines have given you a better idea of what the current situation is in Israel, and the extent of the security guidelines that we are making on the program. If you have any further questions or concerns, be in contact with Shani on email, and she can forward on to me any further queries, which i would be happy to address.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.

Regards,
Leon Schneider
Workshop Co-ordinator