Scout

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Hebrew Scouts Movement was established during Passover of 1919 by youth and sports associations, including the 'Meshotetim' association and the 'Herzliya' association, which held activities in the format of Baden-Powell. Zvi Nishri was elected as the first head of the movement. The first Scout tribe, 'Meshotetei BaCarmel' in the Hadar neighborhood of Haifa, was established in 1925 by the Haifa's Reali School, initiated by teacher Aryeh Croch, who later stood for many years at the head of the movement. In 1939, the religious Scouts, named 'Adat HaTzofim', joined the movement under the leadership of Asher Rivlin. During the 1940s, the movement sent its best scouting graduates to the Palmach, with recruits trained on the 'Reali' school ground. The movement also sent graduates across the country to create Jewish settlements and Hebrew labor as part of the establishment of the new Jewish state.

In Their Own Story

In 1951, during the split of HaKibbutz HaMeuhad, a split occurred in the Hebrew Scouts Movement. Most members wanted to preserve its democratic and non-partisan character. At the Movement's Council in October 1950, it was decided to add principles opposing totalitarian regimes (communism, fascism). Following this, supporters of Mapam, who supported communism, broke away in May 1951, creating the 'Pioneering Scout movement', which soon joined 'HaMahanot HaOlim'. The Hebrew Scouts Movement remained in contact with the United Kibbutz Movement, informally identified with Mapai. In the 1970s, the first chapter outside Israel was established in New York City as 'Shevet Tzabar' (today 'Shevet Tapuach'), jumpstarting Tzofim movements across the United States, Canada, Europe, and more. In 2009, Tzabar tribes were established in Ukraine, Moldova, and the United Kingdom, forming 'Tzofim Tzabar Olami' as part of the Hebrew Scouts Movement in Israel.

Reader's Guide

Today the Hebrew Scouts Movement has around 100,000 members from ages 9 to 18 in about 230 scout tribes, making it the largest youth movement in Israel. The movement is divided into 15 regional leaderships operating relatively autonomously: Tzafon, Haifa, HaTzuk, Hahoresh, HaShahar, Dror, Menashe, Dan, Ramat-Gan, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ayalon, HaHof, Jerusalem, Yehuda, Sorek, and Darom. Some regions cover large areas (e.g., Darom from Kiryat Gat to Yeruham), while others include only one big city (e.g., Tel Aviv-Yafo). There are also segments like Sea Scouts and Adat HaTzofim, a religious division. Each region has professionals and volunteers, offices, vehicles, equipment, financial plans, events, camps, and trips. The 'Tzabar' Scouts for Israeli children abroad operate in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus, Greece, and the former Soviet Union, with separate managements but the same values and principles. Age groups have specific names, and members pass tests to earn new ranks indicated by scout-scarf colors. The movement includes departments for Finance, Marketing, Education, Special Needs, Immigrant Absorption, International Relations, and more, as well as the Israel Scouts Ranch in the Galilee for camping and outdoor education.

Did You Know?

• The Hebrew Scouts Movement was established during Passover of 1919.
• It is famously known as the first egalitarian scouting movement in the world, where boys and girls participate together on an equal basis.
• The first Scout tribe, 'Meshotetei BaCarmel', was established in 1925 by the Haifa's Reali School.
• In the 1940s, the movement sent its best scouting graduates to the Palmach.
• The movement has about 100,000 members from ages 9 to 18 in about 230 scout tribes.