Bnei Akiva

Bnei Akiva's twin ideals of Torah and Avodah translate to religious commitment and work on the land of Israel.

Until the 1980s many Bnei Akiva members joined religious Kibbutzim in groups based on mutual army service or Aliyah.

Bnei Akiva actively promotes moving to the state of Israel in a process called Aliyah (literally meaning "to go up"), but the way in which this occurs has changed over the years.

Until the 1990s, chanichim (trainees, disciples) were encouraged to make Aliyah in garinim (kernels, small groups) intended to bolster existing communities.

These were almost always directed to a Kibbutz Hadati, and fierce debates took place as to whether any other form of Aliyah was a valid expression of the movement's ideals.

In every country, Bnei Akiva operates a network of Shabbat groups, summer camps, leadership seminars, Shabbatonim, and other activities.

[6] Bnei Akiva's emblem displays wheat and farming tools (such as scythe and pitchfork), symbolizing the agricultural perspective of the ideology.

[7] Bnei Akiva branches all over the world start or end their meetings with mifkad, forming the letter Heth (Hebrew: ח, a rectangle missing one of its smaller sides) using the participants.

Donation box of the Merkas Yeshivot Bnei Akiva B'Israel, 1960-70s, Tel Aviv, in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland .