As part of the coronavirus relief campaign of the mechinot, Mechina at Hannaton student Talya Hazani is helping to provide daycare for medical workers’ children. “It’s great to have the opportunity to give the medical personnel a break and help take care of their kids”
The harvest season kept no fewer than 30 mechinot busy this year in the days before Seder night. During this period, the students of Midreshet Shiluv in Natur produced a Passover Haggada, incorporating new passages that they wrote themselves. In the meantime, their volunteerism paid off. Rabbi Rozen: “Thousands of tons of fruit that would have been thrown out have been picked”
Over 3,000 mechinot students are volunteering in different areas - from helping agricultural businesses, through staffing daycares, answering calls at the Magen David Adom hotline to online tutoring sessions and helping the elderly. The mechina lessons are being taught online and over 1,700 lessons conducted to over 3,000 students
Adir Leiba came up with Bein Adam LaMakom during his mechina year. Since then, he’s launched a string of other initiatives that combine his two loves of art and education. Also: this is how the coronavirus outbreak has affected his volunteer work as a Hatzalah paramedic
The students of Mechinat Hadar offer mass applause as a gesture of gratitude: “Thank you to our amazing medical workers who are working around the clock. It’s great to see how united the nation is even in this difficult time!”
New navy officer Lt. Nitzan Elkon, an alumna of Mechinat Rabin, joins Rabin graduate Maya Spier, who completed training in March 2019. Together, they account for half of all women who have completed naval officer training in the past year!
Hundreds of participants from all the Orthodox mechinot came together to celebrate as they finished studying Tractate Megilla in honor of Purim. Zamir: “The foundation of the partnership underpinning the world of the mechinot is Zionism, defined as an independent and befitting national home for the Jews in the Land of Israel. This is the way to bring together the worlds of the Orthodox and the non-Orthodox mechinot”
Over 150 individuals attended this weekend’s event to hear about available positions at whole-year and half-year mechinot. Shifroni: “The backbone of social struggles that mechina alumni join is made up of dedicated mechina alumni who returned as counselors”
The Shibolim alumni of 2019 are already serving in a variety of roles in the IDF. At a recent ceremony, some of these volunteers received their orange berets. Pvt. Einav Galperin: “It’s a good choice, and it’s fun to prove that disabilities can’t stop us”
This mechina was one of the first to bring in students with disabilities, in a move that later led to the creation of Shibolim. It’s also the only mechina that operates in the spirit of pluralism and the Conservative Movement. A close-up view of the Mechina at Hannaton
Ignoring the fissures in Israeli society, she decided in a moment of inspiration to launch a far-reaching project of exposure to Israelis’ different models of Shabbat. Two years later, armed with a big smile, Tifferet Oryah is processing the powerful experience she arranged for herself, finishing a book about the experience, and preparing an intimate lecture about her journey
We’re starting off the year with some new numbers
Dear Mechina Staff and Students,
The Joint Council of Mechinot (Pre-Military Leadership Academies) wishes you a year of fulfillment, enjoyment, and learning.
Be your best!
The heads of all 53 mechinot signed a covenant declaring the objectives, points of consensus, and ethical constraints that bind all of the mechinot.
The Yemin Orde Mechina and local Bnei Akiva chapter hosted Kav Lachayim for a weekend of activities.
Tree-planting, community events, a Tu Bishbat seder, and more as the mechinot celebrate Tu Bishvat.