Short:
HaShomer HaTzair (Heb. The Young Gaurdsmen), the oldest existing Jewish youth movement in the world, defines itself as a world organization of Zionist youth that strives for personal pioneering fulfillment in Israel. It developed a singular educational ideology and principles that fused scouting, personal example, socialist Zionist fulfillment through aliya and a collective lifestyle. Founded in Poland (1913-1914), it was a composite of a number of groups that merged into a united movement in 1916. The first members of Hashomer Hatza'ir came to Palestine with the Third Aliya (1919-1923) and founded kibbutzim. In 1927, their kibbutz movement was established in Palestine, and a strong relationship took shape between it and the world movement.
In World War II, Hashomer Hatza'ir members continued to operate in the Nazi-occupied areas, principally in Poland, and were among the leaders of the ghetto uprisings. Mordechai Anielewicz, leader of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, was a member of Hashomer Hatza'ir. After the war, they took part in organizing the Beriha movement.
In 1946, Hashomer Hatza'ir formed a political party which, along with Ahdut Ha'avoda, became Mapam in 1948. Hashomer Hatza'ir functions as a youth movement in towns, villages and kibbutzim in Israel, as well as in many Diaspora communities, with a membership of 14,000 in Israel and 15,000 abroad.
Long:
The Jewish-Zionist-socialist Hashomer Hatzair youth movement was established 90 years ago in Galicia, today’s Poland. It evolved as a response to the more and more spreading anti-Semitism and also as an alternative group to the orthodox Chassidic groups. Throughout Hashomer’s formation; an active, lively and international community, it began to grow and it is now one of the oldest, still active, Jewish youth movements.
The organization itself originated in Vienna in 1916. Reason for this was the merger of two Jewish associations from Galicia, the scouts Hashomer (The guard, established in 1913) and the culturally and intellectually orientated group Ze’irei Zion (the youth of Zion). The Austrian group consisted mainly out of Jewish refugees that flew from the East, yet some members also came from the German youth movements. Some of the group’s main ideals were taken from its role models Gustav Wyneken, Martin Buber and Robert Baden-Powell.
A significant aim of the movement was Aliyah (the ascent to Israel, or at that time Palestine) and the build up of the kibbutzim. Some of its first members reached Palestine in 1919 and in 1936 they unified with the roofing bond of kibbutz Artzi. At that point, first socialist ideas also slowly evolved within the group and soon after, they even formed a socialist party named after the movement (Hashomer Hatzair), who eventually joined forces with the party “Achdut HaAwoda” with Mapam- the workers union- in 1948.
At the end of 1939, the Hashomer Hatzair reached 70 000 people in its membership. Most members were placed in East Europe, especially in Poland. In the Second World War, during the Nazi occupations, the movement fought in resisting National Socialism against the Wehrmacht by creating an underground organization. In the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the leader Mordechaj Anielewicz with help of some other members of Hashomer, trained young Jews to fight against the Nazi regimes with the little means they had in the ghetto. Unfortunately, Anielewicz was executed in Rumania because of organizing anti-fascist activities shortly after the uprising.
After World War Two, many members of the Hashomer Hatzair joined the Haganah and the Palmach- organizations that helped with illegal immigrations to Palestine.
Today
Hashomer Hatzair is represented on 4 continents and in 20 countries in the world. Almost half of the 20 000 Chawerim are in Israel, the other half is in Europe, North- and South America and Australia. There are 85 kibbutzim that were formed by the Hashomer Hatzair and approximately 23 000 people lived there by 1998. The movement today is part of the International Falcon Movement.
Besides in Switzerland, there are many other Kenim in Europe, such as in Austria (Vienna), Italy (Milan, Rome and Turin), Belgium (Brussels and Lüttich), Holland (Maastricht), France (Paris and Lyon), Hungary (Budapest) and in Bulgaria (Sofia). The Kenim in Hungary and Bulgaria, which were forced to take a compulsory break under the orders of the communist regime, were re-established in the 90’s.
In Belarus and the Ukraine some Kenim were formed after the breakdown of the Soviet Union, that today, are very actively involved in shomeric activities, yet still work separately from the European Kenim.
There are also some Kenim in the USA (New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia) and in Canada (Toronto). However there are now regular weekly activities like in Europe, but their Chawerim attend a one-week winter camp and a six-week summer camp each year.
There are six Kenim in Latin America (Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela). In Mexico and Argentina there are three other movements, which are very similar to Hashomer in the sense of their ideology and their way they do machanot and other activities. Because of their common language, the different Kenim undertake many activities together such as administrating a common mazkirut (secretariat), creating common brochures and itonim (newspapers) and organizing other projects where the Chawerim can interact and discuss issues through Internet forums.
The Ken in Australia is situated in Melbourne. Something that’s special about this Ken is that the Chawerim are forced to take a gap year in Israel after school to live in a kibbutz in order to become a boger- this is often also like that in South America.
In Israel there are over 60 Kenim that belong to the Hashomer movement- in kibbutzim, but also in the cities. They are actively involved with work with children and families that come from poor outskirts and that fight for social equality in the Israeli society. The Tnua in Israel works differently than the ones in the rest of the world.
Despite of the many differences between the countries, also concerning the number of members in each Ken, almost all of the Kenim have at least 100 Chawerim and they all work very similarly. It astonishes how Hashomer is so similar all over the world, even though they are so far away between each other.
HaShomer HaTzair (Heb. The Young Gaurdsmen), the oldest existing Jewish youth movement in the world, defines itself as a world organization of Zionist youth that strives for personal pioneering fulfillment in Israel. It developed a singular educational ideology and principles that fused scouting, personal example, socialist Zionist fulfillment through aliya and a collective lifestyle. Founded in Poland (1913-1914), it was a composite of a number of groups that merged into a united movement in 1916. The first members of Hashomer Hatza'ir came to Palestine with the Third Aliya (1919-1923) and founded kibbutzim. In 1927, their kibbutz movement was established in Palestine, and a strong relationship took shape between it and the world movement.
In World War II, Hashomer Hatza'ir members continued to operate in the Nazi-occupied areas, principally in Poland, and were among the leaders of the ghetto uprisings. Mordechai Anielewicz, leader of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, was a member of Hashomer Hatza'ir. After the war, they took part in organizing the Beriha movement.
In 1946, Hashomer Hatza'ir formed a political party which, along with Ahdut Ha'avoda, became Mapam in 1948. Hashomer Hatza'ir functions as a youth movement in towns, villages and kibbutzim in Israel, as well as in many Diaspora communities, with a membership of 14,000 in Israel and 15,000 abroad.
Long:
The Jewish-Zionist-socialist Hashomer Hatzair youth movement was established 90 years ago in Galicia, today’s Poland. It evolved as a response to the more and more spreading anti-Semitism and also as an alternative group to the orthodox Chassidic groups. Throughout Hashomer’s formation; an active, lively and international community, it began to grow and it is now one of the oldest, still active, Jewish youth movements.
The organization itself originated in Vienna in 1916. Reason for this was the merger of two Jewish associations from Galicia, the scouts Hashomer (The guard, established in 1913) and the culturally and intellectually orientated group Ze’irei Zion (the youth of Zion). The Austrian group consisted mainly out of Jewish refugees that flew from the East, yet some members also came from the German youth movements. Some of the group’s main ideals were taken from its role models Gustav Wyneken, Martin Buber and Robert Baden-Powell.
A significant aim of the movement was Aliyah (the ascent to Israel, or at that time Palestine) and the build up of the kibbutzim. Some of its first members reached Palestine in 1919 and in 1936 they unified with the roofing bond of kibbutz Artzi. At that point, first socialist ideas also slowly evolved within the group and soon after, they even formed a socialist party named after the movement (Hashomer Hatzair), who eventually joined forces with the party “Achdut HaAwoda” with Mapam- the workers union- in 1948.
At the end of 1939, the Hashomer Hatzair reached 70 000 people in its membership. Most members were placed in East Europe, especially in Poland. In the Second World War, during the Nazi occupations, the movement fought in resisting National Socialism against the Wehrmacht by creating an underground organization. In the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the leader Mordechaj Anielewicz with help of some other members of Hashomer, trained young Jews to fight against the Nazi regimes with the little means they had in the ghetto. Unfortunately, Anielewicz was executed in Rumania because of organizing anti-fascist activities shortly after the uprising.
After World War Two, many members of the Hashomer Hatzair joined the Haganah and the Palmach- organizations that helped with illegal immigrations to Palestine.
Today
Hashomer Hatzair is represented on 4 continents and in 20 countries in the world. Almost half of the 20 000 Chawerim are in Israel, the other half is in Europe, North- and South America and Australia. There are 85 kibbutzim that were formed by the Hashomer Hatzair and approximately 23 000 people lived there by 1998. The movement today is part of the International Falcon Movement.
Besides in Switzerland, there are many other Kenim in Europe, such as in Austria (Vienna), Italy (Milan, Rome and Turin), Belgium (Brussels and Lüttich), Holland (Maastricht), France (Paris and Lyon), Hungary (Budapest) and in Bulgaria (Sofia). The Kenim in Hungary and Bulgaria, which were forced to take a compulsory break under the orders of the communist regime, were re-established in the 90’s.
In Belarus and the Ukraine some Kenim were formed after the breakdown of the Soviet Union, that today, are very actively involved in shomeric activities, yet still work separately from the European Kenim.
There are also some Kenim in the USA (New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia) and in Canada (Toronto). However there are now regular weekly activities like in Europe, but their Chawerim attend a one-week winter camp and a six-week summer camp each year.
There are six Kenim in Latin America (Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela). In Mexico and Argentina there are three other movements, which are very similar to Hashomer in the sense of their ideology and their way they do machanot and other activities. Because of their common language, the different Kenim undertake many activities together such as administrating a common mazkirut (secretariat), creating common brochures and itonim (newspapers) and organizing other projects where the Chawerim can interact and discuss issues through Internet forums.
The Ken in Australia is situated in Melbourne. Something that’s special about this Ken is that the Chawerim are forced to take a gap year in Israel after school to live in a kibbutz in order to become a boger- this is often also like that in South America.
In Israel there are over 60 Kenim that belong to the Hashomer movement- in kibbutzim, but also in the cities. They are actively involved with work with children and families that come from poor outskirts and that fight for social equality in the Israeli society. The Tnua in Israel works differently than the ones in the rest of the world.
Despite of the many differences between the countries, also concerning the number of members in each Ken, almost all of the Kenim have at least 100 Chawerim and they all work very similarly. It astonishes how Hashomer is so similar all over the world, even though they are so far away between each other.