What does FZY mean to me?

Todays blog is not abut how I propose to change the movement, instead it is focused on how the movement has changed me in the seven years I have been involved for. Let me start in 2005 when i participated in my first chavurot meeting. Having not known what to expect I found myself to be quite shy. I was intimidated by people who knew each other from before hand when I had very few friends there. The main reason for going to that chavurot initially was the name FZY. it was a camp that I wanted to attend and by being a member I was told I would be guaranteed a spot on camp.

In that summer I participated on Ofek '04 and it was the first time I had been encouraged to voice my opinion and be outspoken, it felt good! I continued my journey as a chanich to tour and every year I grew in confidence. FZY was the first place that I was able to express my opinion without being judged or told I was wrong. In 2004 I was struggling with self belief and my lack of confidence in myself was effecting my behaviour as well as my school work and social life. FZY gave me the opportunity to turn that around and for that I am truly grateful.

Year Course was the first time that FZY really made an impression on the path of my life. Being in Israel for nine months gave me a passion to make a change. I wanted to help make a change for the chanichim that found themselves in the same position as me. Leading camp post year course was what I believed to be the most rewarding summer of my life and it inspired me to repeat the act a year later.

I was elected onto the Mazkirut and this created me with the opportunity to really delve deep into the workings of FZY and allowed me to continue my involvement to the highest level. The year 2011 provided me with the greatest summer of my entire life. It was not only fun but also challenging, inspiring and the most rewarding experience of my life to date. Taking tour was an highlight of my life. Simply having a connection with my chanichim was enough to make me so proud of them throughout tour in the manner in which they approached every challenge they had over the month. Tour was the moment I confirmed to myself my reasons for running for Mazkir.

I, Harry Jardine, the insecure young boy from Radlett, was able to inspire and lead 43 chanichim to better their knowledge and make a difference for Israel and the Jewish communities in the UK. Even typing it out makes me so proud to be part of a movement that gives the opportunity to everyone. It doesn't discriminate and it provides support where necessary. FZY is more than a youth movement to me. When I joined FZY it felt like a family and I believe I am the right person to connect our members together and become that family that always supported me. Without FZY i would be half the man I am today.

Aliyah Nimsheket

Aliyah Nimsheket is more than just the act of moving to Israel, it the continual support of the nation once having moved there. The decision to move to Israel is a difficult and challenging one. To simply pack up ones possessions and leave the home that they have grown up in, is never going to be easy. FZY as a Zionist organisation obviously can play a huge role in the decision. Within FZY many members have made aliyah and fulfilled their Zionist dreams, however many have not. It is important that FZY continues to promote aliyah nimsheket.

This does not mean that anyone who does not have the desire to make aliyah is not accepted in the movement. I am a firm believer in choice, however I do believe it is important that choices are well informed. FZY has a duty to members that are considering aliyah, this duty is to provide them with the most accurate and relevant information available. FZY already has this information available in the form of our Olim, and although the topic of Olim is covered on tours, occasionally, as well as on year course, it is rare for our members in the UK at universities to have the opportunity to explore these options. Using the already present database of Olim information I as mazkir will set up educational days around different universities to help give all the information about aliyah to those who may be considering it, by involving members in Israel via Skype.

As well as this I believe that the continual support of the state of Israel after aliyah can be achieved with the help of our movement. As we are all aware many FZY members are currently serving in the IDF and FZY also has a duty to support them. Packing boxes, writing letters and sending reminders of home is a great way of making our members still feel part of FZY and will illustrate a system of support for those who need it. The process is cyclic as those that leave the army can then become part of the support system for future soldiers.

At the end of the day Aliyah is an exceptionally difficult decision and not one to be made lightly, that is why I believe that FZY can not only help with the making of the decision but also support it for years to come.

Tzedakah

When I was on Kesher 05, as a chanich, FZY were selling MIA wristbands. The initiative was aimed to bring attention to the situation and raise awareness of the struggle that the families of the MIA soldiers face. By bringing back these wristbands we can reinvent a campaign to raise awareness and support for these families. This is an important initiative to FZY as it is a symbol of zionism. The MIA soldiers dedicated themselves to protecting their country and their families deserve the closure of knowing either way about their loved ones.

FZY official charity is the Ethiopian Bar Mitzvah Fund. I believe that it is important for FZY to continue to support the UJIA in the project. Ethiopian Bar Mitzvah Clubs are currently being supported by FZY with members helping out with the educational rational. The value that this gives to FZY is two-fold. As well as working to support the charity we also promote our movement at an age that is essential for FZY to be acknowledged. By helping at a critical and important stage of young peoples lives FZY can create a core group of chanichim that are growing up through the movement. 

Tzedakah in FZY is more than raising money, it is about being righteous and providing an example for the rest of the community to follow. This can be created by continuing the good work that the FZY mitzvah day already provides within our communities. As well as mitzvah day FZY can also provide activities of volunteering for all ages. It is very unusual for our members to have their own placements and FZY can use connections within the jewish communities to provide our members with this opportunity. Creating a positive outsider opinion of FZY and also providing our members with experiences that are unrivaled. 

As Mazkir I would encourage support for the work Olim member Keren Hajioff is currently doing in Israel. The initiative is to support IDF soldier by writing them letters expressing our appreciation for the work they do and the risks they take. Keren who is currently serving in Israel is training soldiers in using different equipment. The support that previous letters from FZY have given to soldiers is remarkable and I believe that this small sign of appreciation really benefits those going through tough times in training and unfortunately combat. That is why I see the project to be worthwhile and a necessity for participation by FZY.

Tzedakah is an important part of zionism and the manner in which we conduct ourselves will be an example to the rest of the community and different cultures sharing the land of the UK. FZY already illustrates commitment and as Mazkir I will strive not only to uphold the reputation but advance it. 

Tour

The highlight of most GCSE students year is the summer. Once the hardship of exams has ended a large number of British youths flee from parents and embark on the journey of their lives. Tour is a month away from parents where chanichim have the ability to develop as individuals. FZY in recent years has dominated the Israel Summer tour market by consistently filling the maximum allowance of 12 tours.

FZY have always been ahead of the game when it comes to operating tours and this is again shown this year by the development of speciality week. The movement team have designed along with our sister movement Young Judaea opportunities that have never been available before. The aim of speciality week is to provide chanichim with an experience they will never forget. There are other advantages to the new format of tour. First by separating tours for a short period of time FZY chanichim have the ability to build links with other members of other tour groups. This creates a larger group of FZY chanichim and promotes friendship between tours rather than a competition, no matter how much is in jest. As well as connecting British chanichim to other British chanichim the new program also allows interaction with American chanichim from Young Judaea. This hopefully will create transatlantic relations and can help fuel the demand for our Kedma summer program Hanhaga.

This is the first year this format has been implemented and more will be known about the success post the summer. However with the large amount of variety and being the only organisation to offer such a program it can be sure that this summer will once again be a successful one with respect to Israel Tour. As Mazkir I would use the information and feedback given after this summer to analyze the opinions of not only those participating but also of the madrichim and see the difficulties they faced. If the feedback is positive, as expected, I would look into introducing more tracks and options such as a Photography track that allows chanichim to witness some of the most breathtaking views Israel has to offer, As well as a Culinary track which creates the opportunity for chanichim to learn about not only Israeli cuisine but also the produce from the region.

The changes to the program, in my opinion, illustrate FZY's desire to provide the greatest opportunity for chanichim to enjoy their time in Israel, in the safest possible way. To me, that is what is important, having chanichim connecting to the land and having fun.

Hope everyone has a great Shabbat and I will be back on Saturday, post Shabbat

Shabbat Shalom.

Magen

In FZY we stress the importance of Magen initiatives. By this we mean activism throughout the movement to promote honest and fair representations of Israel. Unfortunately we live in a troubling age where the safety of Israeli citizens is at constant risk.

Within FZY we have had different initiatives to help raise awareness about current and recent issues surrounding the safety of Israel. These have included the Sderot hoodies, as well as an MIA campaign for those soldiers who have yet to be returned from kidnapping whilst on duty with the IDF. FZY provides a platform for the youth to formulate opinions on the situation that Israel currently faces. The development of these opinions was very apparent this year at the release of Gilad Shalit. It only took a quick look onto Facebook the day of the release and it was obvious the FZY had succeeded in at least one of our initiatives. The sheer number of chanichim and bogrim that found themselves ecstatic and relieved for the Shalit family after there 5 year ordeal was truly inspiring. The feelings were reflected in the status updates as well as photos from all stages of our movement. This shows the manner in which our madrichim educate when given the appropriate opportunities.

Although Gilad was release there are still MIA's and there families waiting for closure about the situation their loved ones are in. FZY has a responsibility to raise awareness. If I am elected Mazkir I will strive to continue the good work of the previous movement teams and Mazkirut to raise awareness about the situation surrounding the MIA's and Sderot. As well as this I believe there is a potential to bring many jewish youth movements together by producing an MIA handbook peula. By this I mean an activity in which all MIA's are educated about and the stories learnt, in order to remember those that are still missing and waiting to be returned home, dead or alive.

Magen is more than just the MIA's and Sderot, it is the protection of the state of Israel, it is one of the major building bricks in Zionism and it is not biased. I believe that in order for FZY to have a strong movement that illustrates commitment to a greater cause in Israel it is important to educate about both sides of the story. Defending Israel is more than just backing every decision, it is critical analysis of legislation and actions that take place and understanding the reasons behind them. In order for our movement to have well educated members it is important for FZY to cover all sides of any particular situation. That is why I believe in the continuation of such experiences as meeting the Arab-Israeli community on Summer Tour as well as experiencing Druze hospitality and Bedouin Tents. I also believe it is possible for FZY to produce our own domestic inter-faith activities creating respect amongst local communities and providing a stage to show that peace is the only possible situation worth thinking about.

A Youth Movement?

FZY is an organization that spans across many age groups and many different backgrounds. Our members are diverse, not only in thought but also in needs. The role of FZY, in my view, is to provide the stage to voice opinions whilst supporting the needs of members. 

FZY officially went younger and opened the doors to chanichim of age 12 and above. Although there is not a camp for this age group, weekly activities organized by the  movement team at the time created the opportunity for an expansion in our member base. The original ofarim challenge was to engage the age group whilst creating an FZY atmosphere that lead to a natural progression into camps and further into passionate and active members of our movement. 

It is clear, from the past, that successful movements have a core of chanichim that have grown up within the movement and created connections with the ideology. A prime example of these core groups are the chavurot. The chavurot, that are still successful in the North and Essex, have provided the platform for young members to feel involved and have great experiences. However in London these chavurot have unfortunately disintegrated. Regrettably this has resulted in a lack of opportunities for young members from London to grow a strong bond with our movement. 

The ofarim program is still new to FZY and despite lack of interest, I still believe there is an opportunity to provide social and educational programs for the age group. FZY can still play a major role in todays younger community. FZY can provide the right support system for our ofarim during difficult times such as bar/bat mitzvah. Peer support is an important part of our chanichim lives and I personally believe that FZY has the structure to encourage a support network between all of the different age groups within the movement. 

FZY is a youth movement, to me this means interaction with the youth of today throughout the year. FZY is an organization that strives to get the most out of our members whilst providing an environment in which people feel comfortable to express themselves as who they really are. By providing support systems FZY can create links between all the age groups and create a core group of members. This can only help with the development of the movement.

A Year ON!

The subject of year course has many different aspects to it and I hope to address all of them within this blog.  First I want to explain what year course did for me and the benefit it gives members. When I participated in year course 08-09 I was a young immature boy who had never been away from his parents for longer than a month and that was on tour. I was embarking on 9 whole months away and I was nervous, upset and excited simultaneously. I knew many people going on year course with me but this didn't help me feel less alone.

These feelings that I experienced are completely normal at the beginning of year course and everyone feels these emotions in one way or another. So how can FZY help? The management of expectations is something that FZY have developed over the last few years and I personally believe it can be developed further. I intend to introduce a buddy system for the prospective year coursers. By this I mean that everyone participating in year course is allocated a buddy, either someone who is currently on year course or members of the bogrim. These buddies are there to answer any questions and provide any support that is needed. As well as this the buddies can also be used as a web based support whilst participants are in Israel. Why introduce a buddy system of bogrim? FZY is a youth movement, personally I believe that as a youth movement we should be connecting all stages of FZY. By creating links whilst on year course we can develop them on return and help returning bogrim to feel association with the movement having been away from the UK for a year. As well as this many people get upset and depressed when returning from year course, I know I did, the buddies again can be there for support and advice on dealing with this problem. Again strengthening the links between age groups in the movement.  

The gap year industry as a whole has suffered a major set back with the rise in tuition fees and this is a major challenge for FZY. Due to the rise in price of tuition year course numbers have taken a serious hit. Although this current year course can be considered as an anomaly that doesn't mean that the numbers will instantly increase back up to the heights of previous years. Financially it is very difficult times and this has a major effect on our numbers. However by maintaining the price of year course FZY will illustrate a desire to provide the most diverse and the best year course program available. 

So what can FZY do to repair this decrease in numbers? First I believe that currently the role of Year Course Recruiter is vital in the office, as it is the first stage of going on year course. The FZY recruiter needs to be passionate and approachable much like our previous recruiters Ben King-Scott, Emma Nagli and of course Dena Addlestone. However just having the Year Course Recruiter working on the prospective participants is simply not enough. If I were to be elected Mazkir I would continue to promote year course in schools with high numbers of jewish students. Therefore not only should FZY visit jewish schools but also institutions such as HABS or Manchester High School. Not only should this be the job of the Year Course Recruiter but also it should be assisted by members of the bogrim who have personal connections with these schools. The marathon of phone calls that are required to be made should be assisted by bogrim, especially tour madrichim. Post tour the connection of madrichim with their chanichim is an exceptionally strong bond, everyone remembers their tour leaders. This means that as the involvement of the tour leader, in kedma activities, does not end post tour the involvement of madrichim in the recruitment process is vital. For a future participant of year course to receive a call from someone they are familiar with is a huge icebreaker and allows a more open conversation about the reasons to go on year course and the doubt and concerns that may be present in the minds of the chanichim. 

Year Course was the best decision of my entire life as it allowed me to grow into the person I am today. I made friends for life and learnt more about what israel really means to me. The feeling of surrounding oneself within israeli culture and society is one that I will remember forever and recommend to anyone. 

What does Tarbut mean to FZY

Today I want to address the situation surrounding one of the four main aims of FZY. As most of you will know Tarbut means culture, but how do we as a movement incorporate culture?

Tarbut is any form of Israeli culture, from Rikkud to typical Israeli food and then onto Israeli music, which we use on a regular basis. When looking at peulot about Israeli culture there tends to be a trend of just using food or listening to an Israeli song and ultimately this leaves a lot to be desired. Of course as Mazkir I would still encourage the use such cultural evidence, however I believe we can extend our boundaries surrounding tarbut.

The inclusion of tzofim on camps continues to boost our tarbut opportunities by allowing interaction between our members and members of Israeli society. The relationship between FZY and the Tzofim is a strong one and as Mazkir I would continue to build on the relationship as I see the tzofim to be not only a vital part of camp but also a bonus during year course.

Outside of summer programs we have struggled to impart knowledge about Israeli culture to a large majority of our members. the chavurot in the North have phenomenal scope and can be the perfect platform to educate through experience. However in the south these forums are not always available. I suggest that we run a sponsored  cultural day for local communities and members. the inclusion of Noar, Kedma and Bogrim, in the planning process, can create links between the separate age groups.

As well as focussing on Jewish-Israeli culture I think it is also important for FZY to give balance to the situation in the middle east. Within Israeli society there are many cultures and traditions and these are just as important to educate about. As a pluralist movement we strive to respect all walks of Judaism and I believe we should expand this and teach about respect of all cultures that fall within the boarders of Israel.

To end I would like to tell you about one of the most cultural evenings I have ever had. It was when I was on Year Course and the Israeli national football team had a World cup qualifier against the Swiss. The game was a typical Israel match, last minute equalizer from Ben Sahar. The reason this game was such an eye opening experience is because year course managed to sit us right next to a group of exceptionally loud fans. The chants and songs all night were amazing and the atmosphere in the ground although subdued at times was electric after the final goal and whistle. The celebrations reverberated around the ground and it was the first time I felt like part of Israeli society.

Staffing Camps

Although I had previously attended two camps, tour and year course as a chanich, it wasn't until I became a madrich on Kesher 09 that I really began to feel passionately about the movement. Despite always knowing that I wanted to do year course and take camp, Kesher 09 taught me about the greater society that lies within FZY. Being a leader on camp was a pretty daunting thought at first and although I had participated in Hadracha training I was uncertain of what to expect and how the chanachim would respond to me.

Although I was nervous the support I received from the entire tzevet allowed me to strive to be the best I could be. For that I want to say thank you, without your support I would neither be writing this blog nor running for mazkir.

The tzevet was made up of a mix between first and second year madrichim, the second years were always there for moral support which helped make camp less unfamiliar. As well as this simple reassurances ensure confidence amongst the tzevet. Due to the work those second years did for me I was convinced that I had the responsibility to be on camp the following year to pass on my knowledge.

One of our major issues currently is our loss of madrichim between the first year of camp and the second year. There are many reasons why people do not do two years of camp, and it is expected that some people will not enjoy the experience of taking camp and therefore may not want to reapply the following year.

A common reason used to justify not being on camp for a second year is the need for internships and work experience over the summer months. Of course these schemes are vital when looking forward at the future and trying to discover what there is to do with ones life. FZY would obviously prefer if people were to staff camp and then do work experience or staff camp post work experience. However due to the overlap in time frame of internships and camps there is often difficult choices to be made by individuals.

I see in the future of FZY an opportunity. We as a movement take over four hundred chanichim from all over the country to Israel every year. As well as this we can have exposure to nearly two hundred more, who participate on camps. This is one of FZY's greatest resources and we should be exploiting the opportunities in front of us. By adding a line in the application forms for camp and tour that asks parents directly if they would be interested or available to offer unpaid work experience to the staff of camps. These links can then be followed up and madrichim can be allocated to different placements given the preference of industry. By creating a database of businesses who have links with FZY, no matter how minor, we can create permanent links to these organisations, which hopefully bring not only success for our members but also our movement.

Prospective Tour Madrichim

Ok so it has been bought to my attention that many of the prospective tour leaders have your UJIA assessment day. First some advice for you all, just relax and be yourselves, FZY has an amazing ability of producing superb leaders who are passionate as well as approachable, independent and most importantly great fun. I am sure all of you will portray this in the group based activities that take place on the day.

Now to UJIA screening test.  Remember something you don't know is something that you can learn, whether that be through cramming to revise for the test or over the period of time left until tour takes off this summer.

FZY, obviously, has very strong links with the UJIA and this can be used to our advantage when knowledge and enrichment sessions are planned they should be based around the discrepancies that will be highlighted in the test. Using connections within the UJIA, FZY can tailor these sessions to the specific regions required. Currently enrichment sessions are compulsory however they are non-specific to individual needs. This can easily be rectified by creating themes to every enrichment session and allocating to tour madrichim which dates they must attend in order to touch up their knowledge base.

Anyway good luck to all the prospective tour madrichim in their screening days.

Welcome

Welcome to MazkirElect the first blog on the web designed to inform you, the members of FZY, about the up coming elections at Veida.

First let me tell you a little about myself; My name is Harry Jardine and I am running for Mazkir at Veida 2011. I have been involved with FZY in many different roles ranging from chanich on Ofek 2004 and the following two years on Kesher and Tour but also I have been a madrich on two camps and tour. As well as being a committed leader I have also held the positions of Nottingham Netzig, a social chair of Nottingham if you will and I am currently, until the end of the year, a member of the Mazkirut, one of the governing bodies of FZY.

All of these roles combined have helped me gain knowledge about how FZY operates and the different approaches that are currently needed to continue to drive this great movement to further heights. FZY is a federation of youth which sets it aside from other organizations. The role of FZY, in my opinion, is to allow the empowerment of youth in a safe and secure environment. The encouragement of discussion, debate coupled with excitement and enjoyment is what made me fall in love with our movement and with your support I believe we can encourage your generation to stand up and make a change.

I will be using this blog to provide you with information about my ideas to help the continual development of FZY as well as a forum for members to express their opinion and concerns that may exist within the movement.

Stayed tuned for more as I explore not only new ideas and potential policies for FZY but also the effect Israel is having on our movement at this current time.

Harry