Bnei Akiva

After World War I, the League of Nations gave Britain a mandate for Eretz Yisrael . Jewish pioneers, settlers in Eretz Yisrael made serious efforts to create their homeland. These were the years of the third aliyah in Eretz Yisrael. During this period, the Federation of Trade Unions, the Histadrut and the Jewish Hagan Self-Defense Organization were founded. ^[1] The ideology of creating strong groups was characteristic of this aliyah. Its main focus was the desire to create a new Jewish society, the "new Jew." In their opinion, to achieve the goal, it was necessary to leave the “obsolete” Jewish tradition with its culture and traditions.

The Ha-Poel Ha-Mizrahi labor movement, uniting religious workers, faced many difficulties at that time. The histradut and workers' committees in every way interfered with the religious Zionists and did everything to prevent the members of the movement from being hired. The Jewish National Fund (Keren Kaymet) was responsible for the distribution of land. In it, as in most state structures, leading positions were occupied by representatives of left and extreme left parties. Everyone received the land, but not Ha-Poel ha-mizrahi. On the other hand, non-Zionist and anti-Zionist circles were also hostile to the movement. In this difficult time of persecution and economic repression, the new generation began to join the secular youth movements Ha-Noar Ha-Oved , Tsofim and move away from religion and tradition.

It was decided to create a religious youth movement. Leaders saw the movement as a counterweight to secular socialist ideology. "Ha-Poel ha-Mizrahi" was the embodiment of religious Zionist ideals: "The Land of Israel, for the people of Israel, according to the Torah of Israel." Settlement on the earth and its processing were one of the most important principles. In this spirit, it was decided to educate the younger generation.

The Bnei Akiva movement was founded in 1929 by Echel Eliash and was to become an alternative youth movement for religious Zionists, in addition to the already existing Hashomer-Hatsair and Beitar , associated with the left and right political camps in the Jewish Yishuv Eretz Israel .

The movement is named after the famous Talmudic sage Rabbi Akiva , whose personal fate was to become an example for the education of Zionist religious youth. As a shepherd in his youth, in his adulthood, Rabbi Akiva changed his life drastically, devoting the rest of it to the study and teaching of the Torah , and during the years of the uprising, Bar Kokhba called all his students under his banners, and later died as a hero. The combination of work, study and military prowess was to serve as the ideal of a new generation reviving the Jewish state.

Subsequently, many similar organizations in the diaspora fell under the flags of the new movement.

Nowadays, Bnei Akiva is the largest Zionist youth movement in the world ^[2] . In Israel, Bnei Akiva is the third largest youth movement (following the Jewish Boy Scouts movement and the Ha Noar Ha Oved ve Ha Ha Lomed organization): as of May 2010, Israel’s ranks included 28 136 members - 16% of the youth of Israel, a member of the youth movement ^[3] .

As a pioneering Zionist movement, Bnei Akiva believes that the most important commandment of Judaism is to return to the Land of Israel, so an important part of the movement’s activity is to support the patriotic settlement movement. Members of the movement believe that protecting Israel is an important commandment, which is why all students are serving in the army, mainly in the military. The movement believes that the Jewish youth of the diaspora should be aware that the Jewish state needs them, and they need the Jewish state. Bnei Akiva believes that through keeping the commandments and working in the land of Israel, Jewish youth can achieve self-realization in this troubled age.

Pupils and pupils of Bnei Akiva traditionally take an active life position, manifested in participating in many volunteer programs, while serving in the IDF or an alternative service for girls.

In Israel, the Bnei Akiva movement is associated with the Religious Kibbutz Movement ^[4] and the National Religious Party . It is subordinate to the National Administration ^[5] . Outside of Israel, the local branches of Bnei Akiva are under the auspices of the World Organization of the Bnei Akiva Movement ^[6] .

In each country where there are branches, Bnei Akiva manages a network of Saturday groups, summer camps, seminars, etc.

Coat of Arms

The emblem of the movement depicts a number of symbol objects related to various aspects of the Bnei Akiva ideology.

Plants and agricultural implements symbolize a direct connection with the Land of Israel.

The tablets of stone are a symbol of the Torah.

The two initial letters of the words “Torah and Avoda” (“Tav” and “Ain”), tied with a ribbon with the inscription “Bnei Akiva”, symbolize two aspects that cannot exist without each other - this is the Torah and the noble work in the land of Israel, which symbolizes and the tape, which is connected to the tablets and symbols of agriculture.

Anthem

The anthem of the movement is one of the most important symbols of Bnei Akiva. It was created by Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria (Haver Minkin), who was among the first activists of the movement. The anthem was performed for the first time during the Sukkot festival in 1932 in Kfar Saba . Soon, the anthem became one of the essential symbols of movement. The words changed a bit, and in the early 1950s. the motive has also been changed. Now no one can imagine a meeting of participants in a movement without performing its Anthem.

Interlinear translation:

יד אחים לכם שלוחה, הנוער החביב

A fraternal hand is stretched out to you, dear youth,

על דגלנו כולכם, חנו מסביב

Gather everything around our flag,

יזהיר לכם כוכב תורה

May the star of the Torah shine on you,

דרככם סוגה בעבודה

May your path be full of labor. *

, בלב אמיץ ובעזרת ה ', עלה נעלה

With a brave heart and with God's help we will ascend

! קדימה בני-עקיבא, הידד במעלה

Go ahead, Bnei Akiva, hurray, to the heights!

מולדת זו, ארץ אבות, ארצנו הקדושה

This Motherland, the Land of the ancestors, our Holy Land

מידי אביר-יעקב לנו מורשה

Bequeathed to us by Lord Yaakov, **

ראשינו בעמקי תורתה

Our thoughts are plunged into the depths of her Torah, ***

כפינו ברגבי אדמתה

Our hands sort through clods of its soil, ****

, בלב אמיץ ובעזרת ה ', עלה נעלה

With a brave heart and with God's help we will ascend

! קדימה בני-עקיבא, הידד במעלה

Go ahead, Bnei Akiva, hurray, to the heights!

* Literally: “Your path will be fenced with labor”, a pun based on the idiom “The path is fenced with rose bushes” (הדרך סוגה בשושנים), that is, easy and enjoyable.

** “Abir Yaakov” - God (Bereshit ( Genesis ) 49:24), in the synodal translation “The Powerful God of Jacob”

*** Literally: "Our heads are in the valleys / depths of her Torah / her teachings."

**** Literally: "Our hands are in the clods of her land."

Lexicon Bnei Akiva

Notes

Links

• Bnei akiva worldwide