In our region, Beit Shemesh/Adulam - SA/Washington, we have been preparing 10 madrichim from our region to go to South Africa in December of this year, to act as madrichim in the various Youth Movement machanot.

Last year, as an experiment, we sent six madrichim to the Habomin Dror machaneh and it was so successful, that all the Movements asked us to send madrichim to their camps as well. Bnei Akiva was the only one of the four movements that do not require our madrichim as they get students from the various Yeshivot through the Bnei Akiva Movement in Israel. Our madrichim will go to Habonim Dror, Beitar and Nezer (Reform).

After holding many sessions of interviews, we eventually chose the madrichim we think are most qualified and we came up with a list of outstanding young people from our region. All have had hadrachah experience and some are officers in Zahal, who have recently completed their army service. Some are matric graduates, waiting for their call up in Februrary 2001.

The one I would like especially like to point out is a young lady who came to Israel with the "Naale" project, three years ago. Her name is Polina and she came with her younger sister Liza to Kibbutz Tzara together with 25 other Russian youngsters. Her parents followed and are now living in Beit Shemesh.

Polina is a very talented young lady and completed her matric with outstanding results, has an excellent knowledge of Hebrew and English, sings and plays several musical instruments. She joined Hanoar Holmed v'Oved and did a course in hadrachah.

Polina connects up with a possible programme to bring SA high school youngsters on a "naale" project, and one of the options being considered is Kibbutz Tzsara.

We held a two day seminar at Kibbutz Tzara together with madrichim from South Africa who are here on the Machon L'Madrichei Chutz L'Aratz. These madrichim go home in December and will run the machanot, so the Israeli madrichim already became acquainted with the overseas madrichim and friendships are being established. Six Habonim madrichim from SA are currently doing volunteer work in Beit Shemesh until their return home during November. They are being accommodated in the P2K apartment in Beit Shemesh.

Elul 5760 - September 2000