habonimdror.org

Habonim Dror North America (HDNA) offers several concrete ways to participate or give: joining a local Eizor/Ken (regional or local activity group), attending one of its six summer machanot (camps) in Canada and the United States, enrolling in its Israel programs (MBI summer program or the Workshop gap year), or donating through the "Support Habonim Dror" section of the website. Which path fits you depends on whether you are a prospective participant, a parent, or someone looking to contribute financially.

If you want to participate

HDNA describes its programming as built on the pillars of Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama (actualization of values). Participation generally falls into three tracks:

• Year-round local activity — HDNA runs activities across many areas of North America, organized as Eizorim (regions) and Kenim (local branches). This is the entry point for someone who wants ongoing involvement without leaving home.
• Summer camps — six machanot (summer camps) operate across Canada and the United States.
• Israel programs — a summer program called MBI and a gap-year program in Israel called Workshop.

How to start

1. Go to habonimdror.org and look for the section covering local Eizorim/Kenim to find activity near you.
2. If you are interested in a camp or an Israel program, navigate to the program pages for MBI or Workshop to see what each involves.
3. Use the site's navigation for statements and updates if you want to understand the organization's positions before committing.

Expected result: you should be able to identify whether there is a local branch near you, which program matches your age or schedule, and what the next contact step is.

If you want to support HDNA

The site includes a "Support Habonim Dror" section, which is the place to go for giving. The homepage evidence confirms this section exists as a heading, but the available material does not list specific donation amounts, payment platforms, or membership fees — so check that section directly for current options rather than assuming any particular method or cost.

If you want to follow HDNA's positions and updates

HDNA publishes statements on the site. One example is its Yom Ha'atzmaut 2026 statement (dated April 23, 2026), which marks 78 years since the founding of Israel and frames the holiday around the values in Israel's declaration of independence — "freedom, justice, and peace" and "complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants." The statement is filed under "Statements," which is where you can find similar updates.

Quick reference

Common sticking points

• Assuming a local branch exists near you. HDNA says activities run in "many areas" of North America — not all. Confirm your area before planning around it.
• Confusing the two Israel programs. MBI is a summer program; Workshop is a gap year. They serve different time commitments.
• Expecting published pricing. The available site material does not include fees or payment details for camps, programs, or donations, so treat cost as something to confirm through the relevant section or a direct inquiry.

Habonim Dror North America is built on five stated pillars: Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama (the actualization of values). These are not just labels — they shape how the movement frames its camps, Israel programs, and year-round activities. If you are trying to understand what the organization stands for before joining a program or supporting it, these five pillars are the place to start.

The Five Pillars

The organization describes its programming as "based on the pillars of Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama (actualization of values)." That phrasing matters: Hagshama is listed as its own pillar, which signals that the movement treats living out its values as a distinct commitment, not an assumed byproduct of the other four.

How the Values Show Up in Practice

The pillars are meant to be visible in what the movement actually runs. According to the organization, Habonim Dror operates:

• 6 summer camps (מחנות קיץ) across Canada and the United States
• An Israel summer program (MBI)
• A Gap-year program in Israel (Workshop)
• Year-round activities in many parts of North America, called Eizorim/Kenim

Each of these settings is a place where the pillars are supposed to be enacted rather than merely discussed — camp life, Israel travel, and local groups all serve as venues for Hagshama.

Values in the Movement's Public Statements

The pillars also appear in how the organization talks about current events. In a statement on Yom Ha'atzmaut 2026 (April 23, 2026), marking 78 years since the founding of Israel, Habonim Dror wrote that the day "invites us to remember and celebrate the founding vision that the State of Israel was built on."

The statement quotes Israel's declaration of independence — "The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice, and peace as envisaged by the Prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants" — and frames the holiday as "a yearly reminder to celebrate in the way we know best: to keep shaping Israel by these values, even in the most challenging moments, and to never give up on a vision of a peaceful and dignified future for our people."

This is a useful illustration of how the pillars operate together: a Zionist commitment (Progressive Labor Zionism) is expressed through the language of justice and equality (Social Justice), and the call to "keep shaping" Israel is itself an expression of Hagshama — values turned into ongoing action.

Why the Pillars Matter If You're Deciding Whether to Engage

• If you're considering a program, the pillars tell you what kind of environment to expect: one that is explicitly Zionist, explicitly socialist, and explicitly oriented toward social justice, with an emphasis on putting those commitments into practice.
• If you're evaluating the organization's positions, its public statements are the clearest place to see the pillars applied. The Yom Ha'atzmaut statement shows the movement engaging with Israel's founding vision critically and constructively rather than uncritically.
• If you're looking for a single takeaway, note that Hagshama is the pillar that ties the rest together. The movement's own framing suggests that holding these values is not enough — the point is to actualize them through camps, Israel programs, and local activity.

Habonim Dror North America runs four main types of programming: six summer camps (מחנות קיץ) across Canada and the United States, an Israel summer program called MBI, a gap-year program in Israel called Workshop, and year-round local activities known as Eizorim/Kenim. All of it is built on the organization's pillars of Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama (actualization of values). Which program fits you depends mainly on age and how much time you want to commit.

Summer camps (מחנות קיץ)

The organization operates six summer camps across Canada and the United States. These are the entry point for most participants and the base of the movement's youth programming.

Best for: Younger participants looking for a first immersive experience in a Habonim Dror setting, and families seeking a camp affiliated with the movement's values.

What to expect: A camp environment shaped by the five pillars rather than a general-interest summer camp. Because the camps are spread across both countries, the practical question is usually which camp serves your region.

Israel summer program (MBI)

MBI is the movement's summer program in Israel.

Best for: Participants who want an Israel experience during the summer rather than a full gap year, and who want it framed through Progressive Labor Zionism and Hagshama.

What to expect: A summer-length program based in Israel. It sits between the camp experience and the longer Workshop program in terms of commitment.

Gap-year program in Israel (Workshop)

Workshop is the gap-year program in Israel.

Best for: Participants who have finished high school and want a full year in Israel before or instead of going straight to university or work.

What to expect: The longest and most intensive of the Israel-based options, and the one most directly tied to the idea of Hagshama — putting values into practice over an extended period.

Year-round local activities (Eizorim/Kenim)

Beyond camps and Israel programs, Habonim Dror runs year-round activities in many areas of North America, called Eizorim/Kenim.

Best for: People who want ongoing involvement close to home rather than a single summer or year abroad, including those who are not currently able to travel.

What to expect: Local, recurring programming. Availability depends on whether an Eizor or Ken is active in your area.

Comparing the options

How to choose

• If you want the shortest, most local commitment, start with an Eizor or Ken near you.
• If you want an immersive summer in North America, look at the six camps and pick the one serving your region.
• If you want Israel but only for a summer, MBI is the match.
• If you want Israel for a full year after high school, Workshop is the match.

The through-line across all four is the same set of pillars — Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama — so the decision is mostly about format, location, and length rather than a different ideological framework.

Habonim Dror North America is a Jewish Zionist youth movement that operates across the United States and Canada. It runs six summer camps (מחנות קיץ), an Israel summer program called MBI, a Gap-year program in Israel called Workshop, and year-round activities in many regions of North America known as Eizorim/Kenim. The movement describes itself as built on the pillars of Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama — the actualization of values.

What the movement offers

The ideological pillars

Habonim Dror North America frames its programming around five pillars:

• Progressive Labor Zionism
• Judaism
• Socialism
• Social Justice
• Hagshama — the actualization of values

These pillars are the stated basis for both its camp and Israel programs and its year-round regional activities.

What you'll find on the website

Beyond program information, the site publishes statements and updates tied to the movement's calendar and values. One example is a Yom Ha'atzmaut 2026 post dated April 23, 2026, marking 78 years since the founding of Israel. The statement quotes Israel's declaration of independence — that the state "will be based on freedom, justice, and peace as envisaged by the Prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants" — and frames the day as a yearly reminder to keep shaping Israel by those values, "even in the most challenging moments."

The site also includes a "Support Habonim Dror" section for those who want to contribute to the movement.

Who this is for

This page is useful if you are trying to identify the organization behind habonimdror.org, understand what kind of programs it runs, or decide whether its camps, Israel summer program, Gap-year program, or local Eizorim/Kenim activities match what you or a family member are looking for. If you want details on a specific program — dates, eligibility, or how to apply — the individual program pages are the next place to look.

Habonim Dror North America marks Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) by publishing a statement on its website that ties the holiday to the movement's values rather than treating it as a purely ceremonial occasion. For 2026, the movement's posted statement dates the holiday to April 23, 2026, notes that it marks 78 years since the founding of Israel, and frames the day as a reminder to keep shaping Israel according to the ideals in its founding declaration.

What the 2026 statement says

The statement, posted under "Statements" on habonimdror.org, does three things:

• Sets the date and milestone. It identifies Yom Ha'atzmaut 2026 as April 23, 2026, and notes this is the 78th anniversary of Israel's founding.
• Anchors the holiday in the Declaration of Independence. It quotes the declaration's language that the State of Israel "will be based on freedom, justice, and peace as envisaged by the Prophets of Israel" and "will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants."
• Turns the day into an ongoing commitment. The statement says Yom Ha'atzmaut "doesn't just mark a yearly destination" but "a yearly reminder to celebrate in the way we know best: to keep shaping Israel by these values, even in the most challenging moments, and to never give up on a vision of a peaceful and dignified future for our people."

It closes with the Hebrew greetings "!יום העצמאות שמח" (Happy Independence Day) and "!עלה והגשם" — the latter a movement slogan meaning roughly "rise and actualize," echoing Habonim Dror's pillar of Hagshama (actualization of values).

Why it's framed this way

The framing follows directly from the movement's stated pillars: Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama. Rather than a single-day celebration, the statement presents Yom Ha'atzmaut as a recurring prompt to hold Israel to the equality and justice principles named in its own founding document. That is consistent with how the movement describes itself — running summer camps (machanot kayitz), an Israel summer program (MBI), a Gap-year program in Israel (Workshop), and year-round activities in North American regions (Eizorim/Kenim).

Where to find it

The statement appears on habonimdror.org under the "Statements" category. If you want the exact wording or to check for updates in future years, look there rather than in program or camp pages, which cover a different part of the organization's work.