Affiliates
Habonim's primary function is informal education of Jewish youth on issues relating to South Africa, Israel, world affairs and personal development. We aim to challenge and empower Jewish youth in an informal and exciting environment towards self-realisation and to build a positive Jewish and Zionist identity and a strong social consciousness. The movement is not religious or Orthodox, providing a more secular or cultural approach. However the movement is increasingly becoming more pluralistic and accessible to observant or religious Jews.
We believe strongly in the existence of the State of Israel as a homeland for Jewish people, as a protection for Jewish life and as a centre of cultural development for the Jewish people. Equally we are universal in outlook and believe in our moral obligations to all of humanity. This unique approach towards building a strong Jewish identity as well as a belief in social justice and the brotherhood of man makes Habonim Dror almost unique in South Africa.
Through constant exciting and educational activities, we inspire our youth with our belief in our ideology of "Eretz Yisrael l'Am Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael." We connect our chanichim to our homeland, our people and our precious Jewish values.
Bnei Akiva boasts many centres all around South Africa. These include Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Sandton.
Throughout the year, we are able to enrich the lives of many Jewish Youth - through our daily & weekly activities and major events. On an annual basis, we have uplifted the lives of more than 2500 chanichim all over South Africa - in our beautiful bayit, on our fantastic campsite and in their schools.
As a result of our belief in the centrality and importance of Israel to the Jewish Nation, we are proud to say that we send 200-250 chanichim to Israel annually - to strenghten their connection to our homeland.
The fruits of our three-fold ideology can easily be seen by the tremendous effect our chaverim have on the South African Jewish community in leadership positions, by hundreds of chaverim that now live in Israel and the strong Jewish Identity that our chaverim all over the world possess.
Reform Zionist Youth Movement
Affiliated to Netzer Olami in Jerusalem
Our purpose is to create an environment whereby every member of Netzer South Africa is exposed to a relevant, meaningful Progressive Jewish and Zionist experience under the guidance of educated youth who have themselves been through the Netzer South Africa process. Netzer offers something uniquely Progressive to South Africa.
By being part of Netzer, young Jewish South Africans are given the opportunity to build strong Jewish identities, and become part of the future leadership within Jewish communities throughout the country.
Who we are:
Netzer is a not-for-profit Progressive Zionist Youth Movement that started in South Africa in 1979. Netzer is part of an international youth movement, Netzer Olami, based in Jerusalem. Our parent bodies include the South African Union of Progressive Judaism, the South African Zionist Federation and Netzer Olami. Our members include channichim (participants) ranging from Grade 1 to 12 and madrichim (leaders) who have completed high school, from all over South Africa, Our national mazkirut (managing body) is made up of university-going volunteers. Our main centres are in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, and we also have other participants from around the country.
We are active participants in the Jewish Community, running regular meetings and regional events. Our events expose channichim to a range of relevant issues including Judaism, Zionism, social awareness/action, and social skills on an informal educational level. Netzer members actively participate in our Progressive synagogues during Shabbat and the chaggim (festivals) by running services and organising fun, educational programmes for the whole family. At all our events, we create an atmosphere based on values of respect, equality, tolerance and acceptance.
Netzer facilitates the training of future leaders, aiming to build people with a vision to constructively contribute to society. Leadership and informal education seminars are run throughout the year, particularly for Grades10 to 12, with a national seminar during the winter holiday.
The culmination of our annual activities is realised on our national summer camp where madrichim and channichim learn from one another about being informed Jewish South Africans. Summer machaneh is the time in the year where Netzer South Africa creates the Progressive leaders of tomorrow at the Rotary campsite in Glencairn, Cape Town.
Nilmad v'Na'aseh!
We Will Learn and We Will Do!
Betar SA is a member of the larger organisation of Betar olami with over 80 years of experience and ideology driving this dynamic movement. Betar SA has seen tremendous growth within the movement by keeping the ideology and Zionistic ideals alive!
The South African Union of Jewish Students is a non-profit organisation established to represent all Jewish Students at tertiary educational institutions throughout the country. SAUJS aims to instill in our diverse members the ideals of our three pillars: Zionism, Jewish Identity and South Africa. Our mission is to unite Jewish Students throughout South Africa, promote Jewish Identity, support the needs and interests of all Jewish Students, foster a positive relationship with Israel and create and promote programmes that seek to involve Students within the South African community. SAUJS offers a variety of social events for students, such as parties, Shabbatonim, National Seminar, Onegei Shabbatot, and the Israel Tour. We have community projects, Zionist exhibitions and aim to educate Jewish Students on their heritage and culture.
About Us
WIZO is an international movement of Zionist women, founded in England in 1920. Today, there are over a quarter of a million volunteers in 50 Federations throughout the world, working actively for the welfare of the citizens of Israel and providing help and support in the operation of hundreds of education and welfare projects and services.
WIZO is a non-party Zionist movement, recognised by the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organisation, with consultative status on ECOSOC and UNICEF.
The State of Israel, with its diverse citizenry, requires assistance in the treatment of weaker segments of the population and citizens in distress. This necessity was manifested even prior to the founding of the State and has been adapted according to the prevailing conditions in the country. Even today, tens of thousands of citizens are in need of assistance and support to cope with their daily survival and predicaments – and it is here that WIZO enters the picture.
Assistance is provided to all sectors of the community – from new-born babies to the elderly. WIZO enriches the lives of children and youngsters in day care centres and schools, provides a framework for youth in its network of youth clubs and one-on-one assistance for teenage girls in distress and victims of domestic violence who obtain psychological counselling, rehabilitative care and legal assistance. WIZO also operates services and a guidance system for the advancement and empowerment of women.
Mission Statement The Women’s Zionist Organisation of South Africa is the premier Jewish Women’s Organisation in South Africa that empowers women to strengthen identification with the State of Israel through education and pragmatic commitment to their Beneficiaries.
History
Since its inception in 1897, the Zionist movement in South Africa and the SAZF have had the support of Jewish women in joint societies, firstly in Cape Town in 1897 and then in Johannesburg in 1898. The first was set up in Pretoria.
In 1920 when the World WIZO movement was founded, the appeal for social services for women, youth and infants in Palestine, galvanised South African women to begin raising money for this Organisation.
In 1932 the Women’s Zionist Organisation of South Africa was founded and affiliated to the Women’s International Zionist Organisation. In 1934 an umbrella body known as the Women’s Zionist Organisation of South Africa was formed to coordinate the women’s work for all the beneficiaries of a WIZO Federation.
Currently WIZO South Africa funds a number of projects within World WIZO as well as continuing to fund certain traditional beneficiaries such as JNF; Beit Halochem; Neve Amiel of Youth Aliyah and Partnership 2000.