Friday, November 13, 2009

It's On!

Garin Tzedek has had an intense week in Bat Yam:

On Sunday, we began an exhilarating game of assassin. For a meager 5 shekels, any Year Course chanich in Bat Yam could join in the game and help support the Darfuris in Tel Aviv. In case you're not familiar, assassin is a game where each person has another person assigned to them with a specific task they have to get them to do in order to assassinate them. For instance, if someone wore a hat all the time, the task to kill them might be to get their permission to wear their hat. Once a person is killed, they must pass on their task to the person who killed them, until there is one ultimate victor. In one short week, something like half of the participants have already been eliminated! The conclusion in the next couple of weeks promises to be thrilling.

On both Tuesday and Wednesday night, many Garin Tzedek members went to the Darfuri family center in Tel Aviv to help teach the adults English. This was done through personal and frank discussion, that was just as interesting for the volunteers as it was helpful for the Darfuris. We hope that, through these triadic encounters, we can help the adults improve their spoken English and have more knowledge about their situation. Many times, the adults have chosen to discuss Darfur, or their journey to and opinion on Israel, or even their future plans. We also hung up some more signs for the gan! The experience this past week has been a fulfilling and enlightening one, and we hope to continue it as our time ends in Bat Yam:

In addition, Wednesday night, the African Refugee Development Center (ARDC) in Tel Aviv held a benefit party at the Dancing Camel Brewery and Bar. It was a fundraiser to send several African refugees to college at IDC Herzliya. Garin Tzedek, along with many Year Course chanichim, attended in good fun:

If you're interested in hearing more about Garin Tzedek activities in Bat Yam, or would like to make a donation, please send an e-mail to ittai.eres@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

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WHAT IS YOUNG JUDAEA?

From the

Yehudah Hatzair

Leumi Chukah

(Young Judaea

National

Constitution)

Vision:

We, the members of Yehudah Hatzair, a politically non-partisan, religiously pluralistic, peer-led, Zionist youth movement, envision a strong, vibrant, and secure Medinat Yisrael. We strive to unite Am Yisrael physically, culturally, and spiritually by strengthening it through aliyah, an ideal for which we strive, and the active support of an educated, empowered youth.

We, the members of Yehudah Hatzair, affirm that the basis for our t’nua is a commitment toward action using the following pillars:

ZIONISM:

Yehudah Hatzair regards the support of and the education about Medinat Yisrael as its goals. Programs concerning Israeli current events and stressing the importance of Medinat Yisrael as a national homeland for the Jewish people are implemented in the movement. Yehudah Hatzair recognizes Medinat Yisrael as a central part of Jewish life. We encourage both visiting Israel and making Aliyah.

SOCIAL ACTION:

Social action is a part of both our Jewish and Zionist identities. Yehudah Hatzair works to help Jews and others in need, aid Jewish communities both local and worldwide, protect human rights everywhere, actively strengthen Medinat Yisrael, and strive to form a better world. Yehudah Hatzair will take stands on issues that it feels are important based upon the basic principles of the movement.

PLURALISM:

Yehudah Hatzair firmly believes that all chevre t’nua, regardless of religious and political affiliations, can join together in one cohesive community. We accept that differences make our t’nua stronger. No chaver/a t’nua will be forced to surrender any beliefs unless these directly conflict with principles of the t’nua.

PEER LEADERSHIP:

Yehudah Hatzair practices a peer-led democracy as its method of leadership to be used whenever possible.

JEWISH IDENTITY:

As a Jewish youth movement, Yehudah Hatzair stresses the unity of the Jewish people, the individual development through Jewish values, a comprehensive Jewish and Hebrew education, and the preservation of the identity of the Jewish people. We do so through Jewish spiritual, cultural, and educational activities.

Our Mission

Garin Tzedek Statement of Vision, Mission, Action and Expectations

Vision: We the members of Garin Tzedek envision a world where every human has the right to dignity, opportunity and life and we believe as Zionists that Israel, as a state deeply rooted in Jewish morality, should embody this ideal.

Mission: Therefore we, the members of Garin Tzedek, have made the collective, conscious decision to support the rights of Israel’s Darfuri Refugees to dignity, opportunity and life.

Primary Action Plan: We intend to do this by engaging in meaningful work, supporting organizations, committees and individuals in Israel who are working toward this end. While on Year Course, our work will include, but is not limited to:

· Volunteering at the B’nai Darfur Refugee Shelter and Learning Center in Tel Aviv during the Bat Yam Section

· Working with Darfuri Refugees in Arad during the Negev Section

· Focusing our Jerusalem-Israel experience on Social Justice in Israel and Social Justice Advocacy

· Educating other Year Coursers about Darfuri Refugees in Israel

· Additional collective actions as decided by the garin

After the conclusion of Year Course, the way in which the garin will continue to advocate for Social Justice and Darfuri Refugees will be decided by the garin while on Year Course.

Expectations:

There are a number of actions that the garin expects of its members in order to most effectively represent and advance the cause of Social Justice. There are also expectations individual members’ have of the garin collectively. These include:

Preparation: to prepare for the task of furthering Social Justice in an educated, intentional manner, members of Garin Tzedek are expected to:

· Attend Young Judaea’s National Summer Convention, from August 14^th-17^th at Camp Tel Yehudah in Baryville, NY in order to meet all other members of the Garin for face-to face conversations before the beginning of Year Course

· Read “What is the What?” by Dave Eggers

Behavior:

Members of Garin Tzedek are expected to act as “Dugma’ot Ishiot,” (Hebrew for role model) and act according to the basic values of Zionism, Judaism and Social Justice.

Individual Members’ Expectations of the Garin: In creating a garin along these guidelines, we aim to create a group that acts at the forefront of Social Justice. We also aim to build a vibrant, caring community. We strive to do this by protecting and supporting our individual members and enhancing each person’s efforts in changing the world for the better. We aim to maximize our individuals’ efforts through preserving and promoting our identity and actions as a unified community.