WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BNEI AKIVA!

Transcription

1 WINTER MACHANE 5779

2 MEET THE TEAM! Bnei Akiva has carefully chosen talented, responsible and committed Madrichim. What s more, they are all volunteers, so you know they are there because they really want to be there! WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BNEI AKIVA! Bnei Akiva inspires and empowers young Jews with a sense of commitment to the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and the Torah. We re an inclusive youth movement, so while we have high religious standards, everyone is welcome. With almost 80 years of experience in running Machane, we re the experts in providing an exciting learning experience in an informal and fun environment. You ll discover more about Modern Orthodox Judaism and Israel in fun and innovative ways, make new friends from all over the UK, and learn from great role models. Madrichim undergo intensive educational, welfare and security training before Machane, with input from UJIA and CST, to ensure you are given the best possible care. All our Madrichim are DBS checked. In addition to your amazing Madrichim, get ready to meet some other Machane personalities: The Rosh (Head) and Sgan (Deputy) are responsible for the day-to-day running of Machane and your welfare needs. The Technical Organiser (TO) who leads a capable technical team taking care of the logistics of Machane and providing a safe environment. The Head Cook and Technical Madrichim, who are trained in food hygiene and safety, prepare nutritious and balanced meals. A designated First Aider will be on hand at all times to take care of any medical issues and injuries. Bnei Akiva s full time Mazkirut and Administration Department oversee the running of Machane, providing round the clock support and expertise.

3 A BNEI AKIVA COMMUNITY This year for Winter Machane we will be heading back to our beautiful winter village. Situated in the hills of North Wales is an activity centre which we will be our home away from home. This site will not just be building space but will form an integral part of Machane. This year all five age groups will be sharing a site which is large enough to give each Machane its own independence but will also allow us to come together for communal occasions such as Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalla. This site has enough dormitory and residential cabins to keep the various machanot separate for sleeping arangements and it has aple classroom and indoor spaces, with beautiful fields, and a large forest. The site is located in the north east region of Wales with jaw dropping 360 degree views. This centre makes a perfect winter retreat, allowing us to create our own idyllic youth village.

4 ALEPH MIDOT YEARS 6 & 7 Over the course of Aleph Machane, the Chanichim will look at human values and morals, whilst being in a positive social environment. A particular focus of this camp is on mitzvot ben adam l chavero, between one person and another. For many this will be their first camp experience and what better way to start than by learning about the religious imperative of positive interactions between individuals. Your Madrichim will draw out your individual talents in the many creative activities. You ll find that you re having so much fun, you won t realise just how much you re learning and how many new friends you re making. Friendships made at Aleph can last a lifetime! MA APILIM BUILDING A JEWISH HOME YEAR 8 Every day at Ma apilim is packed with fantastic activities from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Whether you re new to Machane or have been before, you ll love the great mix of fun and friends. Even though it might be cold outside, the amazing ruach of Ma apilim will keep you warm! We ll build our own Bayit Yehudi, Jewish Home, and we ll look at the mitzvot relevant to you on your journey to Jewish adulthood. So put down your phones, pack your bags and come to Machane! The memories will last forever.

5 HAROEH ISRAEL: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE YEARS 9 Haroeh is an action-packed week where you ll meet the great personalities who dreamed of rebuilding the Jewish homeland, and be inspired to make your own difference to the world as part of Shevet Haroeh. Haroeh is a Hebrew acronym for Rav Kook s name, the guiding light for the Religious Zionist world, who encouraged young people to play their part in the creation of the State of Israel. You ll find that the tochniot and kvutzot at Haroeh are on a different level. Your amazing Madrichim will make this the Machane of a lifetime, and one not to be missed. GIMMEL BEING JEWISH IN THE MODERN WORLD YEAR 10 Gimmel Machane forms a cornerstone of what it means to be a chaver of Bnei Akiva. Over the course of the Machane, the chanichim will look at contemporary and relevant discussions which form the basis of a Modern Orthodox identity. As well as promising to be an incredible learning opportunity Gimmel Machane has some of the strongest Madrichim planning some of the most incredible tochniot, it will be an unforgettable week! One of the highlights of Gimmel is when wel reveal your unique Shevet name. In receiving your Shevet name you will be joining a global community of like minded young individuals who all share the ideology of Bnei Akiva. As part of Haroeh Machane, chanichim will be split into smaller groups where they will spend time choosing, planning and implementing a social action project. This programme will be a testamant to the power of youth to make real positive change.

6 H-COURSE PREPARING TO LEAD THE WAY YEAR 12 H-Course is a stepping stone to becoming the leaders of tomorrow. It s a must for those who wish to become Bnei Akiva Madrichim in the future. The H stands for Hadracha, leadership, and it will give you life skills. Topics covered include; presentation skills, activity planning, behavioural management, using your initiative and so much more. H-Course is widely recognised in the community as an advanced leadership training seminar, so whether you want to be a Rosh Machane, youth director or community leader, this experience will serve you well into the future. You ll have the opportunity to put the theory into practice, running tochniot for our younger Machanot as Madrichim! You won t want to miss this fantastic experience!

7 JOIN MAS CHAVER 5779! HOW TO JOIN BNEI AKIVA WHY JOIN BNEI AKIVA? Mas Chaver 5779 is Bnei Akiva s membership scheme. Joining Bnei Akiva shows you want to be part of our amazing movement and that you identify with our ideals. It also entitles you to take part in Machane as well as many other activities during the year. Once you apply for Mas Chaver, you ll join our huge database of members and it all works out at around 1 a week! A VITAL SOURCE OF INCOME Your membership fee will be put to good use across the country, providing you with the kind of youth movement you deserve. Hundreds and thousands of pounds a year are invested into our Chanichim, Madrichim and Bogrim. We strive to develop independent and responsible young people who are well equipped, proud, and ready to stand up for their beliefs. WHAT WILL YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY? We employ 5 movement workers, rabbinical shlichim, northern shlichim and an administrative team, who are dedicated to creating the educational programming of the movement. Develop Bnei Akiva online, including website and social media Give leadership, health and safety, and welfare training to all our Madrichim Produce educational magazines and journals, in print and online Run Israel programmes including Israel Machane, Kaytana and Hachshara Offer heritage trips to Poland and Israel for our bogrim Lead informal education programmes in schools Once you re a member you ll qualify for reduced entry to Bnei Akiva activities, Machane brochures delivered to your door, and your free Mas Chaver gift! Plus, Bnei Akiva Machane is exclusively for BA members, so you need to join up if you want to come! To join, visit bauk.org or camps@bauk.org. Please note that Mas Chaver payments are non-refundable. Mas Chaver is an annual fee which requires renewal at the start of each Jewish year. In addition, here are just some of the things your money allows us to do: Organise shabbatot, Machanot and local events Maintain the London Bayit and the Manchester Bayit Supports svivot and activities in 18 communities around the UK

8 YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS? Applying is easy! Simply send in the application and medical form together with full payment. If your child isn t yet a member for this year, don t forget to include the Mas Chaver 5779 application form too. Payment can be made by cheque, debit card, bank transfer, or credit card. Charity vouchers cannot be accepted as payment for any Machane although they can for donations to our grant fund. Cheques should be payable to Bnei Akiva. The application deadline is 16th November DO I NEED TO TAKE OUT INSURANCE? Yes. You can take part in our group insurance scheme for just 11, or you can make your own arrangements. Insurance covers cancellation fees and loss of personal belongings. If you are making your own arrangements, ensure your policy covers your children when they are in loco parentis. The deadline for being included in our group insurance scheme is 14th November WHAT SECURITY MEASURES ARE TAKEN? The welfare and safety of our participants is our top priority. We liaise with the local police and receive security advice from the Community Security Trust to ensure that our Machanot are safe and secure. Risk assessments are carried out before arrival at the campsites. WHAT ARE THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS? We ll send you the travel details around 2-3 weeks before Machane. It will include the address of the Machane sites and details of collection points. IS THERE A CANCELLATION POLICY? Yes. Cancellation after the receipt of application will be refunded as follows: Cancellation 4 weeks or more prior to departure 100% refund (minus 75 admin fee). Cancellation within 4 weeks of departure, no refund. THERE IS NO REFUND FOR MAS CHAVER OR TRAVEL INSURANCE. HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU DURING MACHANE? Whilst we are at Machane staff member can be contracted during office hours on or, in case of emergencies, on the emergency pager. Pager numbers will be sent out with the travel details nearer to Machane. DOES MY CHILD NEED TO BRING POCKET MONEY? We recommend that around 10 should be brought for the Tuck Shop. At the start of Machane, the money will be put into the camp bank to keep it safe. We are not responsible for any money not given in on arrival. Leftover money will be returned on the last day of Machane, rounded to the nearest 50p. Unless otherwise requested, any leftover money less than 5 will be donated to charity. CAN MY CHILD BRING A MOBILE PHONE TO MACHANE? Yes, however in order not to disrupt the running of Machane, we have developed the following policy: Younger Chanichim phones must be handed in at the start of Machane and will be given out on a few occasions over the course of Machane. Older Chanichim phones are permitted over the course of Machane however, they can only be used in free time

9 and if they are required as part of the programme. We encourage an engaging social environment so phones are absolutely not allowed at meal times and during tefillot. All phones will be collected in on Friday before Shabbat. Please note that signal is very limited on the site but Chanichim will have occasional access to computer suites. WHAT IF I CAN T AFFORD THE COST OF MACHANE? We believe that no child should miss out on a Bnei Akiva educational experience due to financial reasons. Please speak in confidence to Lorraine on ext 5 or her at lorraine@bauk.org for details of bursaries. The deadline for grant applications is 14th November I M NOT FROM THE UK, BUT HEARD ABOUT YOUR AMAZING MACHANOT. CAN MY CHILD JOIN IN? We d be delighted to have your child at Machane! There are some terms and conditions for foreign applicants, such as having a UK-based guardian, and a reasonable level of spoken English. Please speak to Ruth on ext 3 or her at welfare@bauk.org for details.

10 THE ABC OF BA It sometimes seems like BA members are speaking a completely different language that s because they are! Here s a quick guide: BOGER (pl. bogrim) post-school Bnei Akiva member CHANICH (pl. chanichim) participant HACHSHARA our gap year programmes in Israel HADRACHA leadership KAYTANA our social-action programme in Israel KVUTZA (pl. kvutzot) group MACHANE (pl. Machanot) camp MADRICH (pl. Madrichim) leader MAS CHAVER membership fee MAZKIRUT movement workers ROSH head (of Machane or sviva) RUACH the special Bnei Akiva atmosphere SGAN deputy SHALIACH (pl. shlichim) emissary from Israel SHEVET year group SVIVA (pl. svivot) local Bnei Akiva branch TOCHNIT (pl. tochniot) activity

11 Dear Friend, Bnei Akiva has always prided itself on Jewish education, leadership and support for Israel. It is the emphasis on these ideals that has inspired so many of the movement s alumni to go on to be communal and political leaders in Israel and throughout the world. Friends of Bnei Akiva works closely with the leadership of Bnei Akiva, in a spirit of friendship and co-operation, fundraising for capital projects, as well as supporting Bnei Akiva with funds for its educational work. You may well be able to afford the cost for your child to enjoy an educational experience with Bnei Akiva, but there are, unfortunately, many children whose families cannot afford the full cost of Machane. Our financial resources are limited and we rely on generous donations from our supporters to enable us to give financial assistance to those children in genuine need. If you are able to help, please send a cheque or charity voucher, payable to Friends of Bnei Akiva (Bachad), clearly marking that it is for the grant fund. We are a registered charity (no ). Thank you for your support. Friends of Bnei Akiva

12 DATES: 23RD-30TH DECEMBER COST: 440 For grant applications, please Bnei Akiva is proud to be a religious movement, so our food is kosher and our activities adhere to halachah. We take guidance from the Bnei Akiva rabbinical shaliach, who consults with the Beth Din where necessary. The application deadline is 16th November To view the rules, guidelines and full policies, or to download additional application and medical forms, visit For further details, call Rafi Hambling on ext 2 or camps@bauk.org. Bnei Akiva is proud to be supported by UJIA