The Joint Council of Mechinot (Gap-Year Leadership Academies) announced this Sunday that it would answer the call for the students of the mechinot, now in their homes, to volunteer in the fruit harvest and any other agricultural activity in which workers are lacking due to the coronavirus crisis. The decision came after Israel’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education authorized a set of special procedures permitting the students to leave their homes to participate in agricultural activities while emergency procedures are in place.
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The Joint Council will aggregate requests from agricultural businesses in need of volunteers and intermediate between HaShomer HaChadash and students waiting at home to be called in. The effort includes coordinating between mechina heads, students, and local governments to minimize the effects of the pandemic.
Joint Council CEO Dani Zamir said: “Above all, a mechina educates young people about answering the call, commitment to the Jewish people, and commitment to Israeli society” These are the only places that—even in the midst of a dire political conflict—put all of that aside because of the emergency situation and together answer the call: Israelis from the right and left, religious and secular, from Judea and Samaria, from kibbutzim, and from development towns, Jewish Israelis and Druze Israelis.”
Students from the Tavor Leadership Academy volunteering in agricultural work near Binyamina
