The Va’ad Poel

The VP is the Machaneh steering committee who have been democratically elected by the Bogrim body to run the best Machaneh possible. Since the start of the year the VP has been working hard to ensure that Machaneh is the most fun, educational, and logistically sound it can be.

The VP this year consists of 5 dedicated members of the movement: Rosh Machaneh, S’gan Rosh Machaneh Campaign, Rosh Projects, Rosh Chinnuch, and VP Assistant. These people are the ones backstage making sure the production that is Machaneh is smooth sailing and show stopping!

ROSH MACHANEH

LULA PENCHARZ

Rosh Machaneh is the person who oversees every facet of Machaneh and is ultimately responsible for it. They are also the primary leader of Machaneh executive, known as the Va’ad Poel (VP) and ensure that this highly skilled team plan and run the best Machaneh possible!

Lula has been a chaverah of Habo since 2012. While she is a psychology student at Wits, Habo is her passion and priority for 2024. Lula could not be more excited and honoured to Rosh a Habo Machaneh for all the Jewish youth that like a bit of magic in their lives. She is dedicated to providing a safe, healthy, and happy environment and quality experience for learning, growth, and superb fun to bloom.

S’GANIT ROSH MACHANEH

ROSH CAMPAIGN
AVA COHEN
Ava has been coming to camp since 2012, falling in love with the freedom, fun, and critical engagement. In her final year of Business Science Marketing at UCT, she’s excited to lead the machaneh campaign as a real-life application of her skills. Habonim has taught her the value of community, teamwork, and creative thinking, which is the foundation of her campaign theme: building together – leaders, friendships, traditions, and a better future.

ROSH PROJECTS

SASHA RODENACKOR

Historically Rosh Projects has been a position filled by a versatile leader who is able to be creative in coming up with innovative ways to run our significant projects, as well as being able to handle all the logistics that come with said projects.

Sasha’s Habo journey started in 2012, and he’s been hooked ever since. After Shnat, he returned with a diploma in informal youth education and has since taken on various leadership roles within Habo. As Rosh Projects, Sasha ensures that channies take control of their machaneh, developing leadership skills and group identities. Beyond Habo, he’s a soccer coach and in his final year of a Social Sciences degree at UCT.

ROSH CHINNUCH

BRAD GOTTSCHALK

Rosh Chinnuch is the person who plans and manages the educational flow of each Shichvah, and broadly for Machaneh. This is someone clued up on topics relating to Israel, Judaism, Habonim, and world affairs.

Brad is Rosh Chinnuch for Machaneh this year, and is so excited to bring a meaningful and fun syllabus to each Shichvah. Studying Psychology and English at UCT, he is well equipped for this Chinnuch task! Brad is a very involved community member, sitting on the SAUJS UCT committee and Zionist Federation Mancom, among others. In his spare time, he can be found reading or scuba diving on the outskirts of Cape Town.

VP ASSISTANT

BRAD LUBNER

VP assistant is a role that really adapts as the year progressives: it is a flexible one which requires the person to pick up miscellaneous tasks that fall outside other Tafkidim, and to assist other VP members with their Tfkidim. Thus, he needs to be someone who can perform a lot of different tasks and is good at receiving delegated ideas. Ultimately, the VP Assistant must be a jack of all trades.

Brad first stepped foot on the campsite in 2018, and from that moment, it’s been impossible to keep him away. Camp brings a level of authenticity that he can’t find anywhere else. Brad is currently working his first job at a design studio as a 3D generalist. Taking on a role in the VP has been a huge creative outlet for him to apply his skills as a designer to a project that really means something to him. Habonim has and will continue to inspire Brad as he takes space in the world and industries he interacts with. He could not be more excited to bring camp to life with such an amazing team.

Letter from Rosh Machaneh

Shalom!

Hello, Builder Lula here!

I am Rosh of the builders for 2024, aka Rosh Machaneh Bonim Beyachad. Over the past 6 months, I have been working with the Machaneh construction team to build Machaneh 2024 for our chaverim. We have been eagerly waiting to share our plan of action!

The name of our movement is HaBonim, meaning “the builders,” and our Machaneh for 2024 is Bonim Beyachad. At Habonim, we value traditions and our value system, rooted in chalutzic aliyah and service to humanity. We have members who built kibbutzim and fought for the democracy South Africa is built on. As Habonimniks in 2024, we continue this tradition of being builders—confident, informed young thinkers and authentic individuals who enjoy life. Habonim builds people of conviction and action and leaders in all fields, especially in our Jewish, Zionist community.

Our carefully curated syllabi create thought-provoking peulot that nurture critical thinking, encourage out-of-the-box ideas, and provide spaces for constructive conversation. Our rigorous peulot on Zionism and Judaism allow members to explore their rich identities. Through this journey of understanding one’s identity, heritage and traditions, Habonim builds thinkers and action-takers with strong Jewish and Zionist identities. Additionally, our multiple Shabbat services, shabbos day vibes, havdallah, and interactions with our Israeli cohort offer spaces to express our Jewish and Zionist identities on our idyllic campsite.

Our channichim are given chances to practice leadership on Habonim Machaneh. Shichvah-specific projects offer opportunities to take responsibility for large-scale initiatives and add their spin on or spice in it. Whether coordinating the building of the Burning Man structure, setting up the cheder ochal for the wedding or talent show, or taking care of garanim channichim for two days, our channichim learn practical leadership and planning skills. These projects highlight creativity and collective action.

Habonim Dror Southern Africa builds a community that nurtures the whole individual—mind, body, and soul—providing a home and a lifelong network. We support one another, share laughs, dance, and build better futures together. I know that we are all on the same page right now (literally and figuratively) about the Jewish people needing, now more than ever in the past 77 years, to stick together. As a South African Jew, I feel lucky to be part of such a strong, tight-knit community. As a community our priority is preserving our precious future.

Luckily, Habonim’s got us covered. Habonim Dror builds thinkers and doers concerned with impacting the future we will live in once we’re no longer youths. We build educators, people of chesed, and those who chalish for the 17-day camp in Onrus, away from their devices, having fun with their friends.

Habonim has afforded me many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and experiences, but this one is the cherry on top! Thank you for trusting us with your children. We are privileged to be able to build a machaneh for our chaverim with the right foundations, structures, quality material, project managers, blueprint, safety protocols and teams executing a concept down to the last detail.

Aleh Ve’Hagshem

With love

Lula Pencharz

Rosh Machaneh for Machaneh Bonim Beyachad 2024

Habonim Dror Southern Africa