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.
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