Shalom,

 

Hi, if you have reached this page then you are about to enter the English Speaking Machon part of our website. Whether you are a current Machonik, a Boger/et, someone who hopes to come on Machon or just someone involved in the world of Jewish education, I'd like to welcome you. My name is Haggai Kimmelman and I am the current Director of the English Speaking Machon.

 

I've been involved in several elements of the programme in recent years including teaching, guiding and being a Mechanech (what we used to call a Rosh Chavura). As many of you will know, the Machon programme, founded in 1946, has been around for many more years. Many elements of the programme have changed over the years while many others have not, and hopefully will not do so in the future; elements such as the committed participants, a great Machon ruach (spirit), the high quality of classes, the sense of community and the devotion to Israel, the Jewish People and Jewish-Zionist education .

 

Another thing that hasn't changed is the partnership we have the Zionist youth movements. The Machon was created for Zionist youth movement madrichim and it still exists for them. Both before and during each machzor (cohort) we include the movements in our ideological and educational deliberations and we seek to involve them as much as possible in the life of Machon because we understand that Machon cannot function as a programme on its own but is rather an integral part of the overall youth movements Shnat experience.

 

On Machon we experience Israel in many ways: learning, discussing, debating, touring and more. We also deal with leadership, education and hadracha, and challenge our own thoughts and ideologies in order to truly understand and own them. Even though we the Machon staff design and run the programme, we are committed to the importance of Machonikim taking a central role in each machzor, creating a vibrant and accepting learning community and also running various of the programmatic elements for each other via a peer-hadracha framework.

 

In the English Speaking Machon part of the website you will, among other things, find information about the different parts of the programme, its content and layout, and you'll be introduced to some of the current Machon staff. This will be a great opportunity for you: Machon Bogrim (alumni), future Machonikim, friends and family to be exposed to what we are actually doing here.

 

As someone who has been working on Machon for some years now, I am happy to say that I still come in to work with a big smile and lots of enthusiasm every day; able to spend my time with people, both staff and Machonikim that really care about justice about society, about Israel and the Jewish world, and share a commitment to try and make all of these aspects of our world better.

 

I hope you will enjoy our website and maybe consider also paying a non-virtual visit to us here at Kiryat Moriah in Jerusalem some time soon.

 

B'vracha

Haggai