Hashomer Hatzair Australia is a Socialist-Zionist, secular Jewish youth movement based in East St Kilda. Founded in 1953, we have proudly educated, impassioned and empowered Jewish youth for over 50 years. Our core aims are to help students to shape their communities and to find personal relevance in their Judaism, Jewish nationhood and Israel. We run activities on a weekly basis for children from grades 3 to year 12, as well as two week-long camps a year. We also run year-long Israel trips for school leavers. All in all, Hashy is a vibrant mix of informal education, fun, scouting, socialising, volunteering and much more.

Ideology

Hashomer Hatzair’s ideology was last updated at the veida olamit (worldwide conference) in 2008. It is divided into three main pillars: Zionism, Socialism and secular Judaism.

Zionism

Hashomer Hatzair’s vision for Israel is a state that strives to maintain the complex balance between a Jewish society and a pluralistic society that ensures social justice for all. While we recognise that the dialogue between Israel and the Diaspora includes criticism, especially when Israel fails to fulfil the unique challenge of this balance, Hashomer Hatzair continues to support Israel and seeks a peaceful end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We strongly encourage students to form a personal, highly educated and meaningful relationship with Jewish history, Zionist history and Israel today.

Socialism

Hashomer Hatzair believes that humans are creative beings who deserve to live in a society that allows them to develop to their fullest potential. We feel, however, that our world falls well short of this ideal and is fundamentally unequal and disempowering.

We strive to educate our students towards becoming critical, free-thinking individuals who desire more for society and for Israel. We believe in the power of the kvutza (the group) to achieve change together.

Secular Judaism

Hashomer Hatzair places the individual in the centre of our Jewish worldview, and our morals primarily derive from our respect for humankind and not from a divine source. Our Judaism draws upon the vibrant culture, tradition, history and legacy of the Jewish people, and connects us to our heritage. We view Jewish sources as inspiration, but open for critical interpretation.

Hashomer Hatzair believes in and practices a form of active Judaism that encourages everyone to give personal meaning to ritual, text and tradition. We aid our students in creating and challenging their Judaism identity.

Aside from the three main pillars, Hashomer Hatzair is also a tzofiut-based (scouting) movement, and we believe in and practice environmental sustainability.

Hashy also has its own ten dibrot (commandments):

1. The Shomer/et is a man/woman of truth and stands on its guard.
2. The Shomer/et is an integral part of the Jewish people and strongly connected to the State of Israel. He/she is rooted in his/her culture and is a chalutz/a of our Judaism.
3. The Shomer/et finds meaning in his/her relationship to work and fights to create a world where labour is a productive expression of human creativity and freedom.
4. The Shomer/et is politically active and a forerunner in the pursuit of freedom, equality, peace and solidarity.
5. The Shomer/et is a committed chaver/a that works jointly with others, struggles for the progress of society and promotes Shomeric values.
6. The Shomer/et actively develops and maintains relationships which are intentional, free and honest within the kvutza and the whole Shomeric community. He/She takes the responsibility to look after his/her chaverim.
7. The shomer/et respects and cares about nature; he/she gets to know it, learns how to live within it and acts in accordance with sustainable practices.
8. The Shomer/et is courageous, independent, thinks critically and takes initiative accordingly.
9. The Shomer/et strengthens his/her character and strives towards physical, mental and spiritual wholeness.
10. The Shomer/et is led by his/her reason and takes full responsibility for his/her actions. He/she sets Dugma Ishit.

History

Hashomer Hatzair (from the Hebrew השומר הצעיר, meaning the young guard) was established in 1913 in Galicia, Poland. It is the oldest Zionist youth movement still in existence today. The organisation was formed from the merger of two existing groups, Hashomer (the guard), a Jewish scouting group, and Ze’irei Zion (the youth of Zion), an ideological circle that studied Zionism, leftwing politics and Judaism. The movement – created against the backdrop of modernization and of growing anti-Semitism – sought a means of maintaining Jewish identity and culture outside the stifling barriers of the shtetl and of Orthodox Jewish life. Hashomer Hatzair soon spread across Europe, and by 1939 had approximately 70,000 members.

In the early days, Hashomer Hatzair strongly espoused chalutzic aliya (immigration to a kibbutz in what was then Palestine), and shomrim formed a significant part of the 3^rd aliya in 1919. In 1927, the shomeric kibbutzim federated to form the Kibbutz Artzi movement. The federation was influential through the 30s, 40s and for the first few years of Israel’s independence; its Mapam political party won the second largest mandate in inaugural 1949 and 1951 Israeli elections. Today the Kibbutz Artzi Federation includes over 80 kibbutzim, around 20,000 members, and is aligned with Mapam’s successor the Meretz party.

With the advent of World War II and the Holocaust, members of Hashomer Hatzair turned their attention away from aliya focused on resistance against the Nazis. Mordechai Anielewicz, the leader of Hashomer Hatzair’s Warsaw branch, became head of the Jewish Fighting Organization and one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Other members of the movement were involved in Jewish resistance and rescue in Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The leaders of Hashomer Hatzair in Romania were arrested and executed for antifascist activities.

Hashomer Hatzair has continued to resist oppression since. The movement organised illegal immigration of Jewish refugees to Palestine in the 40s, and members were also involved in the Haganah as well as in the leadership of the Palmach. In the 70s, during apartheid, Hahsomer Hatzair South Africa was shut down due to its antigovernment activities and teachings.

Hashomer Hatzair Australia was founded in Melbourne 1953 as a breakaway from the youth movement Habonim Dror. Although a ken (branch) existed briefly in Sydney around 1960, Beit Anielewiz (Hashy House) is the only remaining branch of Hashy Australia. Today, Hashomer Hatzair exists in 19 countries worldwide, including Israel. Famous alumni include Arik Einstein, Benny Morris, Eliane Karp, Sam Spiegel and even Menachem Begin, who briefly attended the movement before joining rivals Betar.

Symbols

Hashy’s emblem is laden with symbolism. In the very centre is the fleur-de-lis – a throwback to our scouting roots. It is surrounded by a blue Star of David, an expression of our Zionism and Judaism intertwined. On either side of the star are leaves; on the left is an oak branch for strength and on the right is an olive branch for peace. Underneath is the motto of the movement, taken from the Book of Joshua, chazak ve’ematz. In English, be strong and brave.

The Shomeric shirt is a proud reminder of Hashy’s past. Historically, it is the worker’s shirt, designed to be worn on the kibbutz. Made from blue material and adorned with a white shoelace across the collar, it also embodies our Zionistic goals. Its ten holes (six for the shoelace, two for the breast pocket buttons and two for the sleeve buttons) are a constant reminder of the ten Shomeric dibrot (commandments). Hashy tradition mandates that it is worn with the left shoelace dangling lower than the right. After all, Hashy leans to the left!