Bnei Akiva - Bnei Akiva Around The World - Bnei Akiva USA

Bnei Akiva USA

Bnei Akiva of Chicago, established in 1940s, is now known as the Midwest Region of Bnei Akiva North America which is one of the largest regions in the country. The Midwest Region includes glilim Detroit, Cleveland and Toronto. Chicago hosts several local and Regional shabbatonim each year. Galil Chicago has four snifim named Saad, Tirat Tzvi, Lakeview and Kfar Tzion. Chaverim from Chicago traditionally attend Camp Moshava, Wild Rose, WI, in the summers.

Bnei Akiva Cleveland is one of the strongest branches of the Midwest Region, with over 100 members including chanichim and madrichim. They run a number of annual activities including their Purim Carnival and Neshef production, as well as a number of community programs such as Musicians Towers (prayers led by Bnei Akiva in a nursing home for the major Jewish holidays). Their current shlichim are Elad and Rivki Shoval, as well as the two Bnot Sherut. Members of Bnei Akiva Cleveland typically attend Camp Stone in the summer.

Since the 1950s, Bnei Akiva has been operating on and off in metropolitan Detroit. It is currently the home of Tzachy Chayun, the Midwest regional director, who lives in Oak Park, MI. Bnei Akiva has two branches that meet every Shabbat, at the Young Israel of Oak Park and at the Young Israel of Southfield. Numerous members of Bnei Akiva of Detroit have moved to Israel, and one former director, Otniel Schneller, is currently serving in the Knesset.

Bnei Akiva of Philadelphia is consistently recognized as one of the most vibrant glilim (regions) in North America. It really is the best in North America. The Madrichim here are consistently enthusiastic, bringing a lot of spirit to the table. Maintaining two sniffim in Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Merion—a half hour drive apart—Galil Philadelphia prides itself on its dedicated and spirited core of madrichim that year in and year out allows the galil to sustain itself successfully. Part of the Mid-Atlantic Region, the two sniffim host a range of exciting activities and shabbatonim each year and receive guidance from college-aged bogrim. While the Northeast branch has been in existence for decades, Snif Lower Merion began weekly Shabbat programming in September 2003 under the leadership of Rosh Snif Chava Forman. From its inception, the snif has been associated with Lower Merion Synagogue and has been lauded for its quick progress and rising popularity despite being one of the only sniffim in North America that is run completely by high-schoolers without the aid of shlichim or paid adults. In September 2012, Galil Philadelphia added a third snif in Cherry Hill, NJ! Kicked off by our annual Hadracha Shabbaton in September, Snif Cherry Hill has become an integral part of our galil and region (BAMA- Bnei Akiva Mid-Atlantic- the best region in the country!) under the leadership of its Roshei Snif, Rebecca Hess, Hannah Hess, and Dani Panitch and its Bnot Sherut, Shaked Abayov and Revital Shifman

Bnei Akiva of New York and New Jersey (BANY) has hundreds of members in 10 chapters across the region. BANY has weekly programs in New Jersey (in Teaneck, Fair Lawn, Englewood and Tenafly) and New York (on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Riverdale in the Bronx, and West Hempstead and North Woodmere in Long Island) The most recent opening sniff is the wonderful Plainview sniff. Although new, the Plainview sniff, has been a great success. BANY also runs Shabbatons and special events throughout the year for youth who are connected to Camp Moshava in Indian Orchard, Pennsylvania. Additional programs are run for college students, and largely focus on a commitment to live in the Land of Israel.

Although there was an active Bnei Akiva in Pittsburgh for many years, activities ceased in the 1960s, only to be resumed in the year 2005. Currently, Bnei Akiva of Pittsburgh operates weekly Snif out of the Shaare Torah synagogue. It is a member of the Bnei Akiva Midwest region (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, and Toronto) The Bnei Akiva youth group of Pittsburgh provides weekly Shabbat groups at Shaare Torah called Snif for the Jewish youth of Pittsburgh in grades 3-9. Snif provides a fun environment while instilling a love of Israel and Jewish values. In addition, Bnei Akiva sponsors monthly social activities. For example, on March 25h, Shevet Shvut (11th grade) had a scavenger hunt and trip to the movies, on March 25, Chevraya Aleph (grades 3-6) had a make your own matza activity, on March 29, Zach (grades 7-8) had a trip to Cyber Conxion. Bnei Akiva runs a special leadership program for Bnei Akiva Chanichim (participants) in 9th grade called Manhigut to help prepare them to be Madrichim (volunteer high school counselors in grades 10-12.) Bnei Akiva also offers leadership training for the Madrichim who volunteer several hours a week and act as counselors each Shabbat at Snif.

Bnei Akiva Boston has two active Sniffim: Brookline Bnei Akiva in Young Israel of Brookline, and Newton Bnei Akiva (NBA)as a joint program between Beth El Aterth Israel and Shaarei Teillah. Bnei Akiva Boston began in September 2007. Today, Brookline Bnei Akiva operates its weekly activities on Shabbat morning for 2-6th grade children while NBA operates on Shabbat afternoons in the Fall/Spring and Motzei Shabbat in the winter. NBA runs many monthly events like Chanuka Carnivals, Purim Crnivals, Scavenger Hunts, Girls Nights, Movie Nights,and all-famous Mini-Shabatonim for approximately 70 chanichim in grades 3-6. Like BA Philadelphia, NBA is run completely by high-schoolers Bracha Robinson and Sarah Robinson without the aid of shlichim or paid adults.

Bnei Akiva Los Angeles has 4 active snifim, all named after famous religious kibbutzim: Snif Lavi (Tarzana), Snif Tirat Tzvi (North Hollywood), Snif Sa'ad (Hancock Park), and Snif Shluchot (Beverlywood). Every snif brings its own flavor to Bnei Akiva Los Angeles. For example, as the strongest snif, Snif Shluchot has about 50 chanichim on a weekly basis and very dedicated Zionist families supporting it, and Snif Lavi boasts being the "Israeli Snif" with more than 3/4 of the Snif coming from Hebrew speaking homes.