The Australian Zionist Youth Council is the roof body for Australia's 6 Zionist youth movements.
Betar
Betar Australia Inc. is an active movement which has branches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Each of these branches conducts activities and functions and holds camps for Jewish youth in each state.
Betar Australia was established in 1948 in Melbourne. Later expanded to Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, the Queensland branch celebrated its 50th Reunion in 2006.
The largest Betar Australia snif (local organization) can be found in Queensland, on Australia's East Coast. Betar Sydney's maon (home) has been located in Beit Herzl on Old South Head Rd in the Eastern Suburbs since the early 1980s. The Sydney movement has experienced periods of increase and decline, but probably reached its zenith in the early 1990s. During that time, winter camps regularly attracted over 220 chanichim (campers). Summer camps were also large, often held in conjunction with the rest of Betar Australia. Several federal camps were held during that time, including Jamboree in Toowoomba, Queensland.
Betar also holds annual seminars for senior chanichim as well as educational and training conventions for the senior leaders.
Betar has always been at the forefront of activism in the Australian Jewish communities. From its first protests against the pro-Nazi German pianist Walter Gieseking in Melbourne in 1952 by releasing pigeons and stink bombs during one of his concerts through the battling neo-Nazi groups in the 1960s to spearheading the Sydney Jewish community to protests on behalf of Soviet Jewry in the 1970s and 80s. Betar Sydney was closely involved in the annual protest outside the Soviet Consulate in Trelawney St, Woollahra each Pesach, as well as mass protests outside the Bolshoi Ballet, the Moscow Circus on Ice (at the Sydney Entertainment Centre) and during the visit to Canberra and Sydney of Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze. In later years, Betar took the initiative to organize community protests outside the Iraqi Embassy in Canberra during the First Gulf War and the Iranian Embassy to protest Iranian state sponsorship of terrorism. Betar also marched in front of the German Consulate in Sydney to protest rising anti-Semitism in the then-newly-reunified Germany. In 2004 Betar Sydney was active in protesting Dr. Hanan Ashrawi's receiving of the then Sydney Premier's peace prize.
Betar Australia Inc. is strong in sending Jewish Australian youth to Israel on long-term programs, in January 2008 sending 9 school-leavers on the year long program, Shnat Hachshara, as recognised by the Australian Zionist Youth Council.
Website: betar.org.au
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest Zionist Youth Movement in the world. Running activities for over 45,000 young Jews in 34 different countries, it provides a unique framework for the young Religious Zionist community, imbuing the ideals of Torah V'Avodah. This ideology combines an unwavering commitment to full Torah observance, coupled with the recognition that we have an obligation to actively involve ourselves in society. The maxim "Am Yisrael b'Eretz Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael" - "The Jewish Nation living in the Land of Israel according to the Torah of Israel", pithily sums up the movement's ideals. Only through Aliya, the highest form of Zionist expression, can the Torah be fully kept.
Website: bneiakiva.com.au
Habonim Dror
Habonim Dror Australia is a Jewish Zionist Youth Movement which operates in Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. One of our main aims is Jewish Education, Habonim Dror Australia is affiliated with Habonim Dror Olami (World Habonim Dror), the Takam Kibbutz movement, and the Israeli youth movement HaNoar HaOved V'Lomed.
Habonim Dror aims to create an environment where movement members are engaged in their Jewish and Zionist identity as well as acting on the social democratic values the movement is based on.
In Melbourne meetings are held on Saturday from 5:30 – 7:30
In Perth/Sydney meetings are held on Sunday 5:30-7:30
Website: hdoz.com
Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair is a Socialist-Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine.Hashomer Hatzair came into being as a result of the merger of two groups, Hashomer ("The Guard") a Zionist scouting group, and Ze'irei Zion ("The Youth of Zion") which was an ideological circle that studied Zionism, left wing socialism and Jewish history. Hashomer Hatzair is the oldest Zionist youth movement still in existence. Initially Marxist-Zionist, the movement was influenced by the ideas of Ber Borochov and Gustav Wyneken as well as Baden-Powell and the German Wandervogel movement. Hashomer Hatzair believed that the liberation of Jewish youth could be accomplished by aliya ("emigration") to Palestine and living in kibbutzim. After the war the movement spread to Jewish communities throughout the world as a scouting movement.
The movement in Australia is located in Melbourne and was established in 1953 as a break away from Habonim Dror. There was briefly a ken (branch) in Sydney during the 1960s, but it closed due to a lack of members. Many of the original bogrim (leaders) of Australian Hashomer Hatzair settled in Kibbutz Nirim. Its building in Melbourne is known as Beit Anielewicz and is currently being upgraded. It runs weekly meetings as well as bi-annual camps which take place in the Australian outback.
Currently there are close to one hundred members of 'Hashy' Australia. Meetings are held every Sunday from 3–5pm for Juniors and 6–8pm for Senior. During Year 10 (age: 15–16) chanichim undergo a 'hadrachah' (leadership) course. This course is run by current bogrim in the movement and teaches the chanichim leadership skills which are used when they lead members of the Junior movement in Year 11. Hashomer Hatzair Australia has a strong belief that chanichim should be active in the community, helping whenever they can. Members often go to rallies and run programs for disadvantaged children. In Hashomer Australia, every year level has its own kvutzah (group). These groups are named after Hashomer kibutzim in Israel. Current kvutzot include: Ga'ash, Sasa, Nir-Oz, Lahav and Metzer, to name a few.
Website: hashy.org.au
Hineni
Hineni is an Australian-born Jewish youth movement. We foster a warm and dynamic culture of education, individuality and fun. Our movement is ideologically based on Modern-Orthodoxy, Political non-partisanship and Zionism. This means that our approach to learning is pluralist, while still maintaining a traditional Jewish atmosphere. Hineni is a place where young people from all backgrounds can come together to figure out their own Jewish identity.
In Sydney, the movement is affiliated with The Central Synagogue and this is where we run most of our events and activities. In Melbourne, Hineni is supported by and based at St Kilda Synagogue. Hineni also has a strong presence in Canberra, where we run events at the Canberra Jewish Community Centre.
We invite all Jewish youth to come to Hineni for a uniquely inclusive atmosphere, long lasting friendships and a sense of true self confidence.
Sydney and Melbourne
Juniors - years 3 -6 Sundays 3 - 5PM
Seniors years 7 - 12 Sundays 5 - 7PM
Canberra:
Approximately monthly - contact Rosh Sydney
Website: hineni.org.au
Netzer
Netzer is a world wide movement made up of young Jews who are dedicated to making the world a better place. Netzer is the movement of the progressive Jewish community and as such is built on values of open mindedness, equality and acceptance. We meet regularly to socialise, learn about Isreal and Judaism and have fun away from life's normal pressures.
Netzer Australia has groups in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth who meet regularly as well as leaders in New Zealand and Adelaide.
Melbourne: Meetings are held at Temple Beth Israel on Sunday afternoons
Sydney: Meetings are held both in the North and the East on Sunday afternoons
Perth: Meetings are held at Temple David
Adelaide: Please email for details
Website: netzer.org.au