With our professional guidance‭, ‬and carefully crafted activities and workshops‭, ‬participants develop their own unique leadership‭ ‬skills‭, ‬and the confidence to serve as a personal example‭. ‬Through their own initiative and teamwork they establish and run committees that steer the very course of the program‭, ‬and work on individual and group projects to hone their skills‭. ‬Committees are responsible for many aspects of Mechina life including educational content‭, ‬PR‭, ‬cooking‭, ‬army preparation‭, ‬tiyulim and more‭.‬

Our learning program teaches a religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox educational philosophy‭. ‬We believe in learning for the sake‭ ‬of growing which makes classes lively‭, ‬positive‭, ‬relevant and involved‭. ‬Topics studied include Torah and Jewish texts‭, ‬tfilla‭, ‬emuna‭, ‬Jewish history‭, ‬Zionism‭, ‬and philosophy‭. ‬You’ll be guided throughout‭, ‬and different levels will be catered for‭. ‬To be a participant on the Mechina‭, ‬you don’t need prior knowledge in Jewish studies‭ ‬‮–‬‭ ‬you just need commitment to learn and to grow‭.‬

As part of the immersion into Israeli society and to contribute to it‭, ‬participants dedicate time to volunteer within a local community‭. ‬Projects include teaching English in schools‭, ‬visiting the elderly‭, ‬working with people with disabilities‭, ‬and agricultural work‭.‬

Participants discover Israel both geographically and socially‭, ‬as we encourage them to challenge their pre-existing perceptions‭ ‬of the country and the people‭. ‬They are exposed to all sectors of the Israeli population‭, ‬and develop their own understanding of‭ ‬how the pioneering spirit is still very much alive in contemporary Israel‭. ‬With the Love and connection to the Land of Israel being such a core element of the program‭, ‬our participants grow to become the newest link in the chain of pioneers‭.‬

We make every effort to ensure that participants going into the IDF have a meaningful service‭. ‬Therefore‭, ‬there are classes and‭ ‬activities carefully designed to deal with a wide range of subjects relating to army service including ethics‭, ‬leadership and structure of the IDF‭. ‬Twice a week there are physical training classes for all participants‭. ‬Classes are run by professionals as well as by participants‭. ‬Participants gain self-empowerment through coping with physically challenging situations‭, ‬and develop physical fitness and mental stability‭.‬

Throughout the program‭, ‬our international participants take part in our own dedicated‭ ‬“Ulpan”‭ ‬‮–‬‭ ‬intensive Hebrew learning course‭, ‬with 2‭ ‬classes a week divided according to 3‭ ‬different levels‭: ‬beginner‭, ‬intermediate and advanced‭. ‬However the best Hebrew learning is through their daily interactions with their Israeli peers at the Mechina with whom‭ ‬they share everything‭.‬

The Mechina Olamit strives to bolster the link between Israel’s Jews and Diaspora Jewry through their common historical‭, ‬religious‭, ‬and cultural heritage‭. ‬We actively work to instill within‭ ‬our participants a desire for mutual action and commitment to a stronger and positive Jewish future‭.‬

There are regular three to six-day seminars and trips around the country to expose the participants to a wide array of topics and build an intimate familiarity with land of Israel‭. ‬Seminars include‭: ‬Israeli society‭, ‬Shoah‭, ‬Zionism‭, ‬Jewish Peoplehood‭, ‬Gush‭ ‬Etzion‭, ‬Navigation‭, ‬Army preparation‭, ‬Desert Survival and Chovek Israel‭ ‬‮–‬‭ ‬the final two-week trip from North to South of Israel‭ ‬planned entirely by participants‭. ‬Participants help plan and run many aspects of each trip and seminar‭, ‬including building educational elements‭, ‬accommodation‭, ‬cooking‭, ‬navigating‭, ‬and guest speakers‭. ‬

We understand that applicants and their families may have concerns about participant safety over the course of the program, and about the dynamic security situation in Israel. Your safety & security is our number one priority. As an approved MASA program, all World Bnei Akiva Hachshara Israel programs follow the safety and security guidelines outlined by MASA for all their programs. Please visit the MASA safety page for more information and interactive video with MASA’s Chief Security Officer, Amir Keinan.

World Bnei Akiva take our participants’ physical & emotional wellbeing very seriously. Noting the rise in emotional challenges amongst youth, we have commissioned the services and support of “Keshev”- a professional organization in the mental health and wellness field. Keshev provides us a with a wide variety of services including group sessions and one-on-one meetings with participants on topics of mental health such as anxiety, depression, sexuality, eating disorders and more. They provide emergency on-call support to staff, and designated on site hours for any participant who needs extra support mentally or emotionally. Through their team, our participants and staff are offered guidance and support needed, to help them to have an emotionally healthy and safe year. To learn more visit www.keshevcenter.com