Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel

Establishment of the movement

The organization was established during Passover of 1918 by some youth and sports associations, including the "Meshotetim" association and the "Herzliya" association that held activities in the format of the founder of world scouting, Baden-Powell. As the head of the movement elected Zvi Nishri. The connection between the associations was loosely if at all and it was not yet fully consolidated movement in every sense of the word.

In 1925 established the first Scout tribe, "Meshotetei BaCarmel" in Hadar neighborhood in Haifa, by the Haifa's Reali School initiated by a teacher – Aryeh Croch (who later stood for many years at the head of the Hebrew Scouts Movement).

In 1939 the religious Scouts, named "Adat HaTzofim" joined to the Hebrew Scout Movement with the leadership of Asher Rivlin as the head of Jewish religious scouting in Israel.

in the 1940s the movement sent the best of scouting graduates to the Palmach. During that time the center of the movement was in the north of the country and the Palmach recruits were trained on the "Reali" school ground before joining to the organization. The Hebrew Scout Movement in Israel also sent its graduates across the country to create Jewish settlements and Hebrew labor, as part of the establishment of the new Jewish state.

The movement breakdown

In 1951, during the split of HaKibbutz HaMeuhad there was also a split in the Hebrew Scouts Movement. Most members of the movement, wanted to preserve its democratic and non-partisan character.

In the Movement's Council, which met in October 1950, it was decided to add to the Hebrew Scouts Movement principles denial of totalitarian regimes (communism, fascism). Following this decision, supporters of Mapam who supported communism broke away from the movement, and set in May 1951, the "Pioneering Scout movement" who joined after a short time to "HaMahanot HaOlim" youth movement, that was also associated with KM and Mapam.

Hebrew Scouts Movement remained in contact with the United Kibbutz Movement, which was informally identified with Mapai, and not with the communist ideology.

Scouting Today

Today the Hebrew Scouts Movement has over 85,000 members in the ages of 10 to 18 years old, and about 205 scout tribes, and is defined as the largest youth movement in Israel (as of publication in 2013).

The movement is divided into 16 regional leaderships operating relatively autonomously, but subject to the provisions and procedures of the movement, in addition to the leadership of the "Tzabar" Scouts for Israeli children living abroad, which operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the former Soviet Union, and have separate managements and activities, but the same values and principles.

Regions of the Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel:

Some of the regions incorporate a large area (the South region – from Kiryat Gat to Yeruham) and some regions include only one big city (the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa region). In addition to the regions there are also various segments of scout tribes, such as the SHVA Scouts (for Ethiopian immigrants), Sea Scouts, and Adat HaTzofim, a religious division which was once a separate organization.

Every region has both professionals and volunteers working for it, and has offices, vehicles, equipment, financial plan, events, camps, trips and more.

Tzabar Scouts

Tzabar Scouts is the name for the Hebrew Scouts regions located outside Israel, in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the former soviet union. It aims to foster Zionism and love of Israel among Israelis who live in these countries. Activities are held in Hebrew, and the members are working in similar settings to the Scouts in Israel, and pass the rest of courses and seminars on topics such as identity and culture. Under the existing backlog Scouts 56 tribes that meet on a weekly basis. Tzabar is an active educational framework for Israelis to strengthen Jewish identity and Israeli-Zionist, maintaining contact with the Israeli-Zionist culture and the State of Israel, and providing tools for members of the graduating addressing the issue of their return.

Age groups

Each age group has its own name in the Hebrew Scouts movement. During the year there is a celebration in which members of every age-group pass a test in accordance with the age group where they are, and after passing the test are designed to get the new rank (rank is a scout-scarf in different colors).

*From the age of 15–16 years old, the scouts scarf changes by the role of the member in the scout tribe.

Organizational Structure

Organizationally, it is possible to divide the Hebrew Scouts Movement in the following way:

Religious Scouts Sector

"Adat HaTzofim" or "Religious Scouts" is a religious division of 12 Scout tribes in the Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel.

The purpose of the religious Scouts is to allow all young Scouts to belong to Scout Movement regardless of origin, political views and spiritual views, while emphasizing the bridge between religious and secular youth. At the same time, "Adat HaTzofim" educates and works with the same values of the Scouts movement, but using also the teachings of the bible of Israel and the Jewish religion.