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As the year ends, 2,700 new graduates emerge from mechinot
Thousands of young people from the 35 traditional and secular mechinot graduated from mechina in recent days. Now they’re moving on to meaningful service in the IDF, equipped with an array of tools, values, and experiences, as well as friends for life. As a new graduate of the Yemin Orde Mechina put it: “It’s the best ‘waste of time’ there could ever possibly be”
They tried to destroy us, we’re expanding: Lod’s Mechinat Maoz is stronger than ever
In the midst of the unrest that blazed through Israel during Operation Guardian of the Walls, Mechinat Maoz in Lod was a focus of arson and vandalism. In the depths of crisis, countless volunteers stepped up to help the mechina and its surroundings recover. Now the mechina plans to double enrollment in the coming year as a way to strengthen the neighborhood and city
On Earth Day and every day: Mechina students protect the environment
It’s in their nature. In honor of Earth Day, mechina students participated in environmental activities across Israel and experienced how important it is to take care of nature. They’re active environmentalists the rest of the year too, though. Just ask their sustainability forum
Operation Guardian of the Walls: Mechina students mobilize for relief efforts
These are difficult days for Israel, and the mechinot are rallying to help however they can. Mechina students are distributing treats to soldiers and families, running activities for children, substituting for educators who can’t work, volunteering at hospitals, and cleaning out bomb shelters
Mechinot mark third anniversary of Tzafit Gully disaster
Representatives of the mechina world, government officials, and relatives of the perished teenagers gathered on site this Thursday for a memorial. Joint Council CEO Dani Zamir: “We want to take action so the disaster’s lessons will be assimilated and become a part of every day at every mechina”
A peek at the fourth annual conference of mechina heads and directors
Heads and directors of Israel’s mechinot convened this week for their fourth annual conference, under the leadership of the Joint Council of Mechinot and in partnership with KKL. They discussed educational dilemmas, exchanged thoughts about how to further the mechina enterprise, and marked the third anniversary of the Mechinat Bnei Zion disaster in Tzafit Gully
We’re proud of you! Eleven mechina graduates honored by President Reuven Rivlin for distinguished service in the IDF
The vision is being realized. Eleven mechina alumni serving in the IDF were honored this Independence Day by the president of Israel, and with good reason. The honorees made important contributions, served meaningfully, and inspired those around them to excel and lead. Now you can get to know our distinguished alumni
Mechina recruitment for next year smashes records again!
Year by year, the mechina world keeps growing and developing. New mechinot are founded, new branches open, and demand for spaces only increases. Even we were surprised by the figures from this recruitment season, with over 7,600 candidates registering. There are just 2,600 spaces available, and the Joint Council is calling for more
“Continuing on the path of our ancestors”: A new mechina for Ethiopian Israelis
The Ethiopian Israeli community’s last protest, the second generation’s identity crisis, and the reality on the ground spurred four educators with military backgrounds to take action and create a mechina for Ethiopian Israelis. What will the new mechina do for its students? What content will it teach? Won’t a separate mechina make the divisions in Israeli society worse? Here are all the answers
I Can Too: Coming to Terms with My Disability | By Amit Lerman
“If you want to succeed, you have to take risks,” says Amit Lerman, a participant in the Shibolim (Sheaves) program at the Ruach HaSadeh pre-military leadership academy for religious men. In this blog, Amit shares about learning to deal with his disability and urges everyone to see the good in their limitations.
Good Deeds Day: Mechina students give back to the community
Every day is a day for a good deed, but on Good Deeds Day last week, millions of Israelis and others worldwide put in time as volunteers. The students of the mechinot also volunteered to help others and their local communities, and they definitely made some people very happy
Putting it all into action: A Beit Yisrael alumna lives and serves with her mechina’s values
Shachar Bar-Itzhak has already served three-and-a-half years in the IDF, but she’s just getting started. She’s a deputy company commander at Chavat HaShomer, yet still lives in Arad as part of an Am;VaAretz group she formed with friends. Oh, and most important of all: she’s an alumna of Mechinat Beit Yisrael
Back to Mechina conference attracts 250 alumni
The third Back to Mechina conference took place virtually this Friday. Participants were urged to come home and help cultivate the next generation of mechina students
New combat officers: One in four graduated from a mechina
This Wednesday, the parade ground at Training Base 1 filled up with new combat officers for a stirring ceremony marking the end of their course. We’re proud to report that one of every four new officers on that parade ground is a mechina alum
The need of the hour: Mechinot mobilize for unity
In the midst of the election campaign and pandemic, Israeli influencers gathered at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to launch the Unity Pact. Joint Council CEO Zamir: “We’re setting out, simply because we have no choice. I’m certain that we can turn the Unity Pact from a wish into reality”
“The most wonderful example of how a person is supposed to think and act”: A Shibolim graduate makes his mark in the IDF
Avichai’s commander: I discovered a soldier with tremendous motivation to serve and contribute, inspired by values from his upbringing and the education he had received since childhood.
The complete interviews: Leading Israelis intellectuals hold forth during the Yitzhak Rabin memorial of the mechinot
Ahead of last week’s joint ceremony, students from Mechinot Ami Chai, Lapidot, Melach HaAretz, and Oz Shlomo went to speak with intellectuals from all over the spectrum of Israeli society. Watch the complete interviews with Professor Meir Buzaglo, Dr. Ruth Calderon, and Rabbi Hananel Etrog, and their insights from the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 25 years ago
We’re brothers—even when we argue: Mechinot hold joint memorial for Yitzhak Rabin
Twenty-five years after the Rabin assassination, a joint memorial held by all secular, traditional, Orthodox, and mixed mechinot throughout Israel was broadcast to all their students. The ceremony emphasized the importance of national unity, respectful discourse, and preserving the Jewish and democratic character of the State of Israel: “Now more than ever, with Israeli society going through a pandemic and high tensions, we consider holding a joint memorial especially important”
From the Mechina of the Upper Galilee to Harvard: This is how a year at mechina changed Eleanor Blum
Eleanor Blum, an alumna of Yachad at the Mechina of the Upper Galilee, just finished her degree studies at Harvard University. Now, she looks back at what made her return for mechina after not being in Israel for over ten years, how she bridged the language gap, and how it is to be a mechina graduate at an American college
Shibolim closes out its fourth year: A Shiboletter with all the updates, brought to you by students and alumni
Shibolim, the program that helps so many young people with disabilities attend mechina, has completed its fourth year of operations. From volunteer work to the coronavirus outbreak, here’s a Shiboletter full of updates for the end of the year, with columns written by program alumni (including a winner of the President’s Prize!), a unique gallery of photos shot by a participant, and a couple that met thanks to Shibolim.
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