Bnai Akiva

by Shani Sabag, Amit Comprehensive High School, Safed

Bnai Akiva is a religious Zionist youth movement whose purpose is to educate its members to the values of the Torah, work and contribution to the local community. This purpose is carried out by 16-17 year old group leaders. These leaders work as volunteers. They themselves have usually grown up in the movement.

Bnai Akiva is very active in Safed, in spite of the fact that the budget is minimal and this year there is no full time movement worker.

We have meetings every Shabbat and in addition, once during the week for every age group. Every holiday, there are trips and camps and training camps for group leaders. Every year we put on a play: this year the play will be The Prince and the Pauper.

Every year, before Rosh Hashana, the members distribute apples and honey to people in Safed. Another of our traditions is that on the evening of Simchat Torah we go around from synagogue to synagogue, dancing with everyone. In the morning, we have a special festive service with the old people at the old age home, and then we go down to the hospital and dance from ward to ward, to bring joy to the patients.

These are only a few examples of the kinds of activities we do. Of course our parents always complain that we are never at home enough!

This article previously appeared in TEN - The Youth Newspaper of the Amit & Amal Schools in Safed, Spring 1998.

© 1998, Amal Pedagogical Technological Center