By Ben Markbreiter, Habonim Dror, MBI

Shabbat Shalom MBI Families,

I want to take this blog post to tell you all about a very special event that happens every MBI: Yom Habo.

As many of you might know, Habonim Dror is not just based in North America. There are Habonim Dror communities all over the world, in places such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Every Habonim Dror country has some sort of program in Israel at some point, whether it be for chanichimot MBI age, or chanichimot post High School.

Yom Habo is an event that happens every summer where everyone who is on a Habonim Dror program in Israel comes together to meet their movement and learn about how each Habonim Dror country is unique and yet so similar. This event happened yesterday, July 14th.

There were chanichimot on gap year programs from Australia, New Zealand, and South America, along with chanichimot who were MBI aged from the UK and Southern Africa that were all there. While the MBI-ers spent a lot of time with their friends playing in the pool and mingling with other Habos from around the world, there was also time where graduates from Habonim Dror who currently live in Israel spoke about the importance and meaning behind this mifgash (meeting). The chanichimot then had a peulah where they played a Kahoot to get to know more about Habonim Dror around the world.

One of the main purposes of MBI is to introduce our chanichimot to the idea that there is so much more to being a member of Habonim Dror than just to going to your machaneh. You are a part of something bigger, and you have young Jewish partners all around the world who learn the same things that you do and think similar things. Yom Habo is a great way to provide this education in an experiential and fun way!

Thanks so much, and look out for the next blog post coming out next week!