Machaneh Etgar

By: Ben Markbreiter, MBI

Today concluded a multi-day seminar on MBI called Machaneh Etgar. This is a very meaningful seminar on MBI as it helped in preparing our chanichimot to come back to their machanot as leaders.

The main goal of Machaneh Etgar is to give chanichimot some tools to be the best madrichimot they can be. Machaneh Etgar starts with a hike that is led by the tzevet with smaller groups of chanichimot. On this hike, the tzevet runs activities, navigates, and makes sure that all the chanichimot are staying hydrated and keeping up, as any good madrichol would do. After the hike, the chanichimot are told that they will run this hike for each other without the madrichimot.

The way that this looks is that each chanichol has a different role on the hike. Some of these roles include:
– A chanichol who is in charge of navigation. They have a map and are given tools to make sure that everyone in the group knows where they are going.
– A chanichol who is in charge of programming. They come up with games to be played on the hike and are also given facts about the area so that the other chanichimot on the hike know about the land they are on.
– A chanichol who is in charge of health. They make sure that the group stops from time to time to drink. They also carry a first aid kit for anything that could happen on the hike.

The chanichimot practice all their roles once through with the tzevet before going out on their own to do the hike by themselves.

By the end of Machaneh Etgar, the chanichimot received their chultzot tnuot, or movement shirts. Chultzot tnuot are a very important symbol in Habonim Dror, and they are shirts that only leaders in the movement get to wear. Receiving a chultzah tnuah is a very momentous occasion in a chanichol’s time in the movement. For some, it was very emotional. For others, it was a feeling of a long time coming. And others were just excited to finally have the blue shirt that they had been seeing their favorite madrichimot wear forever.

The experience of Machaneh Etgar and of receiving chultzot tnuot is one that the MBI-ers will cherish for a long time in their movement experience. We hope that they come back to machaneh next summer in madatz taking what they learned and applying it to their leadership!

The Hope “HaTikvah” is Freedom

The Hope “HaTikvah” is Freedom

By: Ariel Fogelman, Director of Yallah! Israel For three thousand years the story of Passover has been a story of hope. In the book of Exodus chapter 12, all the details of the holiday are given. The people of Israel are still slaves and cannot celebrate anything in...

read more
Notes from Rabbi Erin Mason

Notes from Rabbi Erin Mason

We are re-sharing this blog post written by Rabbi Erin Mason, Director of URJ Greene Family Camp, who recently traveled on FJC’s (Federation for Jewish Camp) Camp Professionals Israel Mission.   In mid-February, I participated in a mission with the Foundation for...

read more
Three Months I Will Never Forget

Three Months I Will Never Forget

By: Alyssa Kruman, Summer 2023 Madricha, Camp Harlam Bus 15 Summer 2023 was three months that I will never forget. There was nothing more rewarding than being by the side of Jewish teens experiencing the most special place for the first time. Each day brought new...

read more
Reflections from my trip to Israel

Reflections from my trip to Israel

We are re-sharing this blog post written by Rabbi Ilana Mills, Director of URJ Camp Kalsman, who recently traveled on FJC's (Federation for Jewish Camp) Camp Professionals Israel Mission. By: Rabbi Ilana Mills, Camp Kalsman Director When I stand with a wedding couple...

read more