The pilot operates in the preparatory school of the Hanton seminary that initiated the model, and is planned to expand later. A pilot of the model is running in the 2022-23 academic year at the mechina of the Hannaton Education Center and is planned to expand in the future.
Pre-army programs in Israel seek to influence Israeli society and establish it as a just, tolerant, and multifaceted Jewish and democratic society that believes in the ability to generate change. This is achieved by developing high-quality leadership among 12th-grade graduates.
Through the new model, we seek to further expand the influence on Israeli society to additional spheres connected to the values and beliefs of the mechinot. The communities of parents will enable the parents to gain in-depth familiarity with the ideological language of the mechina where their children study, to get to know parents from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds and to create meaningful connections with each other and with Israeli society.
Objectives of the Program:
- To develop a model of a hybrid in-person and online Jewish-Israeli community based around the pre-army mechina.
- To expand the scope of the secular and mixed mechinot’s influence on Israeli society.
- To provide a response for people seeking a community.
- To bolster parents’ connection with the mechina and them enhance their partnership.
Program Structure
The model operates at the Hannaton Mechina and will, in the future, be expanded to further mechinot. The program at Hannaton includes several components, as detailed below, while each mechina will subsequently develop the components of its program.
A Learning Community – an online Beit Midrash of 2.5 hours once every two weeks, according to a unique pedagogical approach that creates a living and warm human bond among the community and constitutes a common center of relevant content and values.
Monthly ‘New Moon‘ meetings on Rosh Chodesh that are also open to the general public.
In-person meetings, including joint tours that connect to questions of identity and belonging, and meetings held on parents’ evenings at the mechina, etc.
Joint Shabbat Events
Social Endeavor – social endeavor activity in an area chosen by the parents community which will run parallel to the social endeavor of the mechina. The community will choose an activity and its members will lead it.
“I care” – paying attention to life events and different needs of community members, aimed at internal-community-chesed activity – to be led by community members.
Target Audience
- During the pilot stage – parents of 50 Hannaton Mechina students (by choice).
- Parents of students from 40 general and mixed mechinot operating around the country with approx. 2200 participants every year.
- Parents from new intakes will be added each year, thereby expanding the community.