Hashomer Hatzair is the oldest still active Jewish youth movement in the world: Our movement was founded in 1913 in Galicia in today’s Poland and Ukraine and became active in Berlin in 1930. At the beginning of World War 2, Hashomer Hatzair had 70,000 members in 35 countries. Since 1927, Hashomer has continued to organize itself into two federations: The Israeli organization (it was active in what was then Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel) and the World Movement (World Movement), in which we are active.
During World War 2, the movement’s activities focused on resistance against the Nazis, on flight and on “Aliyah”: migration to Israel, or to what was then Palestine. There, the Hashomer Hatzair movement established 85 kibbutzim – which are small communities with collective agriculture and way of life – and became a “fulfillment” movement. Over the years, the kibbutzim established social and educational enterprises that contributed to the realization of their Zionist vision and the building of Israeli society, and even established the “Hashomer Hatzair Party,” which later continued its path to the United Workers Party and then to Meretz. Nowadays, the Israeli movement has about ten thousand members. The world movement is currently active in 26 countries, and we are getting bigger and bigger. For example, last year new kenim were established in Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the movement decided not to return to Germany. In the early 2000s, relations between the social democratic movements of Israel and Germany became closer and the youth association SJD-Die Falken supported Hashomer Hatzair to return to Germany as well.
Through cooperation between different youth associations, mainly under the umbrella of the Willy Brandt Center in Jerusalem, the movement at that time, which had already successfully rebuilt some groups in Europe – e.g. in France, Belgium and Italy – decided to return to Germany.
The reestablishment of the Kens was decided in 2012, then the movement was registered as an active organization in Germany, a Shomer member was sent from Israel to Germany and Hashomer Germany became part of the world movement Hashomer Hatzair.
History
Hashomer Hatzair is the oldest still active Jewish youth movement in the world: Our movement was founded in 1913 in Galicia in today’s Poland and Ukraine and became active in Berlin in 1930. At the beginning of World War 2, Hashomer Hatzair had 70,000 members in 35 countries. Since 1927, Hashomer has continued to organize itself into two federations: The Israeli organization (it was active in what was then Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel) and the World Movement (World Movement), in which we are active.
During World War 2, the movement’s activities focused on resistance against the Nazis, on flight and on “Aliyah”: migration to Israel, or to what was then Palestine. There, the Hashomer Hatzair movement established 85 kibbutzim – which are small communities with collective agriculture and way of life – and became a “fulfillment” movement. Over the years, the kibbutzim established social and educational enterprises that contributed to the realization of their Zionist vision and the building of Israeli society, and even established the “Hashomer Hatzair Party,” which later continued its path to the United Workers Party and then to Meretz. Nowadays, the Israeli movement has about ten thousand members. The world movement is currently active in 26 countries, and we are getting bigger and bigger. For example, last year new kenim were established in Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the movement decided not to return to Germany. In the early 2000s, relations between the social democratic movements of Israel and Germany became closer and the youth association SJD-Die Falken supported Hashomer Hatzair to return to Germany as well.
Through cooperation between different youth associations, mainly under the umbrella of the Willy Brandt Center in Jerusalem, the movement at that time, which had already successfully rebuilt some groups in Europe – e.g. in France, Belgium and Italy – decided to return to Germany.
The reestablishment of the Kens was decided in 2012, then the movement was registered as an active organization in Germany, a Shomer member was sent from Israel to Germany and Hashomer Germany became part of the world movement Hashomer Hatzair.