HaNoar HaTzioni

Hanoar Hatzioni (Hebrew: הנוער הציוני‎‎, lit. The Zionist Youth), fully "Histadrout Haloutsit Olamit Hanoar Hatzioni", or "HH" for short, is a youth movement established in 1926, with its head offices now in Israel. Its three main pillars are Chalutzism, Pluralism, and Zionism. The movement sees Judaism as the source of national, social and moral values that preserve the integrity and continuity of the Jewish people.

The main objective of the HaNoar Hatzioni is Hagshama Atzmit (personal actualization), which among other things means to have a full Jewish life in Israel. For its purposes the movement uses the scout method.

During the years following the First World War, two ideological currents ran throughout European youth: fascist nationalism and revolutionary Marxism. A small group of enlightened youths criticised the extremist positions and slogans and concluded that they would not endure reality. At the same time, they sensed the danger caused by the separation and division of people into two opposing camps, fighting each other. They then considered an obligation to create a youth movement.

The year was 1926 when the idea crystallized with the establishment of Hanoar Hatzioni. Already at its beginnings, the movement appeared on the scene as an educational movement extracting its principles at the foundations of Judaism, Zionism and pioneering.

In 1956, Hanoar Hatzioni was established in Britain. During this time, there was little on offer to Jewish youth. Hanoar Hatzioni offered an alternative to the highly political or religiously affiliated Zionist youth movements, and the non-political youth clubs.

During the 1960s, Hanoar Hatzioni in Britain focused its activities in those parts which had very little to offer Jewish youth. Hanoar Hatzioni successfully ran weekly meetings all around the country, residential events such as camps that are continued to this day and trips to Israel.

Hanoar has two underlying beliefs: (a) educating the Chanich (participant); and (b) a Jewish-Zionist worldview. Through this it strives to grow the future of the Jewish people with a belief in the centrality of the State of Israel.

Since the times of the Second Temple, Judaism was very heavily engaged in argument and debate – this is what led to the writing of the Talmud. This has continued and Hanoar Hatzioni both accepts and encourages the existence of different streams of thought, philosophical conceptions and ways of practice, within the framework of the modern Jewish spectrum.

Also Hanoar Hatzioni accepts anyone who defines themselves as Jewish, beyond Orthodox Halacha requirements. It strives to create Chanichim with a strong identity of who participants are and what it means to be Jewish.

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Wikipedia