Founded in 1935, Habonim Dror (the Builders of Freedom) is a Progressive Labor Zionist Youth movement whose mission is to build a personal bond and commitment between North American Jewish youth and the State of Israel, and to create Jewish leaders who will actualize the principles of social justice, equality, peace and coexistence in Israel and North America.
Habonim Dror runs six מחנות קיץ (summer camps) across Canada and the United States, an Israel summer program (MBI), a gap-year program in Israel (Workshop), and year-round activities in many areas of North America (called Eizorim/Kenim) based on the pillars of Progressive Labor Zionism, Judaism, Socialism, Social Justice, and Hagshama (actualization of values).
Read about our vision for Progressive Labor Zionism
Aims
Today, HDNA is an autonomous Progressive Labor Zionist youth movement whose members strive for the concrete expression of its values in their own lives and in society.
As an autonomous Labor Zionist youth movement whose members strive for the concrete expression of its ideals in their own lives and society, Habonim Dror has the following aims (updated December 2013 Veida XVIII):
To upbuild the State of Israel as a progressive, egalitarian, cooperative society, at peace with its neighbors; actively involved in a Peace Process with the Palestinian people with the common goal of a just and lasting peace; and as the physical and spiritual center of the Jewish people. To this end, Habonim Dror calls first and foremost for Aliya to communal and collective frameworks that actively work to achieve the aforementioned goal. In addition, Habonim Dror also calls for active involvement in progressive Zionist and Jewish issues in Diaspora communities, using collective-living frameworks as a foundation.
To strengthen the relationship between North American Jewish youth and Judaism through their involvement in progressive Jewish communities with the purposes of enlisting their participation in the up-building of a renewed Jewish culture in both Israel and North America. This will be accomplished by the development of individual Jewish identities by means of promoting the exploration of Jewish spirituality, the full expression of the Hebrew language, an understanding of Jewish history and a personal relationship with Israel.
To participate in the creation of a new social order throughout the world, based on the principles of self-determination, individual freedom, environmental sustainability, political democracy, and cooperative economics, the equality of all people and the equality of human value.
To participate in constructive activities in the North American Jewish community while advocating change where necessary to foster Jewish continuity and creativity and the democratization of the community.
To develop within its members the will to realize their own capabilities and to develop a collectivist attitude to actualize the movements goals through cooperative frameworks (kvutzah).
The pillars, the educational concepts that serve as guides, of Habonim Dror North America are (in no particular order): Judaism, Progressive Labor Zionism, Hagshama (Actualization of Movement Values), Social Justice, and Socialism.
HDNA is governed by our members, at our bi-annual convention called a Veida. Read past Veida resolutions here.