For the full story of Osvaldo Aranha and the connection to 29 November, and including the delicious recepie, make sure to watch the video below with MasterChef Tom Franz cooking with World Bnei Akiva

Thoughts from a visit to Rio as a model

We are used to seeing a constant tension between encouraging Aliyah and the phenomenon that is caused by the same thing which is "destruction" of the community.

During our visit with the Mazkal in Rio de Janeiro, we noticed that not only was this not the case, but that the Rio community is actually leading in both number of Olim and also growth of snifim, they are also the largest when it comes to the amount of weekly activities and the amount of Chanichim that join Hachshara.

How does this happen?

It seems that the answer is the community structure.

Whoever arrives at the Rio community, no matter what stage of life they are in, can immediately find their place. Like in every established community there is the adult community. An adult arriving can easily find a community Rabbi, their children can learn in the school in the same area, and they can be sent to Bnei Akiva.

During their "movement life" the participants will go through all the periods, and from Chanichim they will become Madrichim. At the age of 18 they will come on a year of Hachshara, and afterward they will come back and work in the movement. All this is run by the local activist and the Shaliach.

Those boys and girls will not only be a part of the movement, but they will be pray on the top floor in the Bnei Akiva Shul on Shabbatot and Chagim. The Shul is run exclusively by the madrichim and the alumni of the movement, led by the Rav Shaliach who is the Rabbi of Bnei Akiva. That same Rabbi figure is in charge of the spiritual level of the alumni. The Rabbi does not deal with the chanichim or the adults, he focuses on the Young professionals.

As the Mazkal mentioned it seems that the Rio community works on two fronts, the Rio Snif connect the distant, and encourage the strong.  This way the movement feeds off the new people and still continue its destiny as a movement that believes in Aliyah as a fulfillment of an ideology.

As a world movement we need to learn from the Rio community, learn to provide answers to every person, irrelevant to his age and situation

Uriel Edery

Head of the Latin America Desk, World Bnei Akiva

We believe that every human is distinct, every person has his place and that every Jew is tasked with using his unique features in serving Hashem and enriching this world with love, Torah and chesed.

But is there anything which transcends the attention on the individual and binds us as a collective group? With such a diversity of uniqueness and individuality are we able to assemble together and create a movement which is greater than the sum of its parts?

Not only do I believe the answer is yes, but I have had the privilege to see it with my own eyes. During the summer I was honoured in leading Bnei Akivas Dream Team to summer camps and Shabbatonim in; Italy, Canada, America and Mexico.

While each camp presented its unique features, passions and culture there was one thing which united them all; the spirit of Bnei Akiva. No matter where we went, irrelevant to the camps culture, language or ethos, every camp had a mifkad, every camp sang Yad Achim, every camp sang Hatikvah…

It warms the heart to see that in a global culture, which greatly emphasis the individual, Bnei Akiva is still able to flourish and bring thousands of youth together under the same banner, the same belief, the same ideology. Under the the global family of Bnei Akiva.

Daniel Winer

Head of the Chinuch Department and Manager of the WBA Dream Team