Who Are We
Mechinat Hannaton is a post-high school, pre-IDF program for Jewish teens unlike any other; dedicated to the exploration of Jewish-Israeli identity through a year of study, leadership training, and volunteer work in nearby underserved communities.
The Mechina at Hannaton emphasizes the importance of Jewish diversity and religious pluralism in Israeli society. Its goals are to develop and empower young leaders with passion, knowledge, and commitment to promoting the values of pluralistic Judaism, Zionism, and Humanism; to secure the future of Jewish peoplehood around the world and democracy in Israel.
The Hannaton Experience
- We provide a safe space where young people are encouraged to talk, to learn and explore their identities, to develop critical thought through experiential learning, to make their dreams a reality, to share their ideas and have them supported and challenged by their peers.
- ·We encourage community building by leading Mechina participants to create their own small community while simultaneously engaging with the larger Hannaton community, where they learn and lead by example.
- ·We instill the importance of volunteer work through hands-on engagement with disabled and elderly populations, and multi-ethnic minority communities that are part of the landscape of Israeli society.
- ·We promote a strong connection to the land by leading educational treks throughout Israel, learning the physical lay of the land and its connections with Jewish history and contemporary issues.
