History

Ideology

Bnei Akiva's twin ideals of Torah and Avodah loosely translate to religious commitment/study and work on the land of Israel. The movement has an anthem called Yad Ahim.

As a pioneering Zionist youth movement, Bnei Akiva believes that it is a central commandment of Judaism to emigrate to the land of Israel--"make Aliya"-- and maintains that the future of the Jewish people is tied to the state of Israel.

Bnei Akiva feels that Jewish youth in the Diaspora should be educated to realize that the State of Israel needs them, and that they, in turn, need it.

Ideological shifts

In the early years of pioneering, Avodah was clearly understood as meaning agricultural work, as reflected in the symbolism on the "Semel" (see below, #The_Emblem). In more recent years, there has driven a shift in ideology towards a broader definition of working for the development of the country.

Similarly, the original socialist aims of Bnei Akiva are also taking more of a back-seat. Up to the 1980s many Bnei akiva members joined religious Kibbutzim in Garinim (groups). They were either groups based on army service together Nahal or they were groups that came on Aliya (emigrated) to Israel together. Since the 1990s a wider view of how to contribute to Israeli life has become accepted. Bnei Akiva members now typically settle in development towns, settlements etc. They are active in all areas of Israeli life including security, hi-tec, education, academia etc.

History

Le Bne Akiva en Israel

C'est en 1936 que fut crée à Jerusalem le premier Snif. C'est ainsi que dans un environement hostille à la religion les Haverim affirmaient leur idéal religieux et sionniste. Attirés par l'ambiance chaleureuse qui regnait aux activités de nombreux jeunes rejoignent le mouvement et plusieurs Snifim voit le jour à travers tout le pays...

Aujourd'hui il n'existe pas une ville où le Bne Akiva ne soit pas présent. Il réalise un travail éducatif de grande ampleur grâce à ses Yeshivots, ses Kibboutsims, ses écoles, ses institus et ses Snifims. Ainsi les Machanot réunissent plusieurs milliers de Haverims et certains Shvatim en Israel. Mais il ne montre pas par là toute son ampleur, car il s'ettend même aux adultes; en effet le Bne Akiva est représenté sur la scène politique Israelienne par sont parti le "Mifdal", Parti National Religieux. Il peut ainsi montrer au laïques que les religieux ne savent pas qu'étudier toute la journée mais qu'ils se préocupent pleinement de la vie de leur pays.

Nos Haverims sont des plus motivés à l'armée et les Haverots accomplissent leur services militaires dans l'aide sociale, ce qu'elles font avec beaucoup d'enthousiasme. Ils viennent de tout le pays pour acceuillir les Olim Russes en chants et danses Israeliennes et poursuivent leur action en travaillant activement dans les centres d'intégrations. Présent partout, les Haverims du Bne Akiva sont ACTIF!!

Il y a en Israel une quinzaine de kibboutzim du Bne Akiva. Le premier kibboutz du Bne Akiva fut créé en 1936: Tirat Tsvi. Depuis la guerre des six jours, de nouveaux kibboutzim ont été créés par les Haverims du mouvement dans le Golan, la région de l'ancien Gush Etzion, dans la vallée du Jordain et dans le Néguev. Ces kibboutzim acceuillent les Olim du Bne Akiva du monde entier pour les intégrer (Harchara). Ils sont le fer de lance du Bne Akiva en Israel, car ils fournissent ses principaux dirigeants et shlichims.

La première réalisation du Bne Akiva en Israel est la Yeshiva Kfar Haroé dans les années 1920. Depuis une vingtaine de Yeshivot se sont ouvertes. Les Haverims du Bne Akiva y accomplissent généralement leur Yeshivat Hesder.

Le secrétariat mondiale se trouve à Jerusalem. Il est chargé d'établir le programme éducatif et de coordonner les activités du mouvement et d'envoyer des shlichims dans tous les pays du monde pour que le Bne Akiva s'y développe.

Background

Bnei Akiva first came into existence in the late 1920s, following World War I. At that time, the League of Nations granted Britain the mandate over Palestine. The Jewish pioneers in Land of Israel were struggling, engaged in a Herculean effort to succeed economically and to build their homeland. However, there was another concern as well: the need to redefine the spiritual-cultural identity of the Jewish nation.

These were the years of the Third Aliyah (third great wave of immigration) to Israel (1919-1923). This Aliyah was clearly characterized by two elements: economic hardship and the evolution of a strong ideological socialist group. The general direction was to create a new Jewish society, to see the development of a “ Jew”. To do so, these immigrants felt they must abandon the "old" and

"binding" Jewish tradition, together with its culture and laws.

Religious laborers take action

While the secular laborers were gaining power, the "Hapo’el Hamizrachi" workers movement, part of the Mizrachi movement (established in 1901), was founded. Its goal was to organize and unify the few religious laborers who were, at that time, economically deprived and spiritually rejected, and to transform them into a force to be reckoned with. The movement’s first leaders consolidated a new philosophical perspective, intended as a counterweight to the secular-socialist ideology of other workers’ groups. As self-perceived, Hapo’el Hamizrachi was the active realization of the Religious-Zionist ideals of the Mizrachi movement: “The Land of Israel, for the People of Israel, according to the Torah of Israel”. It dedicated itself to engaging in all aspects of life in Israel, religious and secular, including labor and settlement of the land.

The younger generation abandons its parents’ values

In the wake of the ostracism and economic difficulties encountered by Hapo’el Hamizrachi members, many of their adolescent children chose to join secular social groups. They were drawn to socialist/workers’ youth movements (such as Hano’ar Ha’oved, Machanot Ha’olim) and citizens’/right-wing counterparts (e.g., Hatzofim, Maccabee, Betar). This situation, essentially a social and psychological ebbtide of religious youth, could not be tolerated for any length of time, and presented a severe existential threat to the new religious movement. In the winter of 1929, Yechiel Eliash, then an officer of the Brit Olamit shel Torah Va’avoda (“National Alliance of Torah and Labor”), suggested to Hapo’el Hamizrachi the establishment of a religious youth movement, with the purpose of strengthening young people’s spirit and organizing them within a proud social framework.

This proposal was met with lack of enthusiasm and even opposition. The reasons for its rejection were:

1. By their very nature, youth movements are rebellious, and therefore have no place in religious society.

2. This type of youth movement might interfere with studies.

Yechiel Eliash did not bow to the views of his opponents. Years later, he explained:

“...At that time, there was a need to rebel. The Histadrut ruled mightily. Any Hapo’el Hamizrachi member who sought work in construction was banished in disgrace. Anti-religious sentiment was rife... We believed that a youth movement would have to engender faith in its own strength and in our power to erect a religious Judaism with great accomplishments. Not individual creative Jews, but organized religious Judaism... The opponents, including leaders of Hapo’el Hamizrachi feared rebellion and contended that a religious movement, intrinsically, cannot be oppositional and must be traditional. Some worried that the conduct of study in school would be impaired; others disparaged young people’s ability to stand at the head of a youth movement. Impressive educators, they argued, must hold this position. However, despite all this opposition, I decided to found the youth movement...” Concurrent with the establishment of the movement in Israel, organizations of religious youth operated in the Diaspora. Some of them adopted the name Bnei Akiva and others had appellations such as Hashomer Hadati. Twenty-five years later (1958), the Israeli and Diaspora groups merged and the Mazkirut Olamit (World Secretariat) of Bnei Akiva was formed.

Symbols of Bne Akiva

The Anthem

The Bnei Akiva's anthem (himmnon in Hebrew), was composed by Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neriya (originally known as Chaver Minkin). He composed the anthem during the Chol Hamoed period of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, 1932, at a gathering of youth leaders in Kfar Saba.

Although the words have changed somewhat, (and, in the beginning of the 1950s, the tune was also changed, possibly due to its similarity with the 'Bundistim' from Poland), there are very few Bnei Akiva occasions in which the anthem is not sung.

The anthem, Yad Achim, is sung in Hebrew.