Livnot ULehibanot
Since 1980 a large number of young Jewish, mostly in their 20's have experienced the Livnot U’Lehibanot program in Safed and Jerusalem. The livnot program offers participants the opportunity to volunteer, excavate, hike, learn and connect with the local community in a non-denominational atmosphere of questioning and mutual exploration.
Contents |
History
Livnot opened in 1980 when a group of young adults, interested in participating in a dynamic and Zionistic Israel experience program, gathered to excavate buildings which had been buried by earthquakes yet still existed under the rebuilt Old Jewish Quarter of Tzfat. The three-month Livnot U'Lehibanot program included the physical work of excavating and rebuilding these ruins along with hiking through Israel’s North and studying elements of Judaism through experiential classes, discussions, seminars and workshops.The Livnot project offered the only Israel experience program which included spiritual content yet was not geared towards promoting a specific religious observance.
Contemporary Program
The contemporary Livnot program maintains the same focus as the original program but includes a wider variety of activities with a strong emphasis on volunteerism and community involvement. The program has expanded to include more “Tikkun Olam” -- repairing the world through service -- activities. The original Livnot goal of encouraging each participant to build his or her own Jewish identity remains the ultimate focus of the program.
Community Service
Livnot U'Lehibanot participants spend approximately a third of their program experience involved in community service. As the Safed municipality and other “hessed” -- charity -- organizations became acquainted with Livnot they began to turn to the “chevre” -- participants -- when volunteers were needed. Throughout the years Livnot chevre had engaged in a wide variety of hessed tasks, in addition to the excavations. Some of the volunteer work includes working at the local Ethiopian Absorption Center, repairing homes of elderly and disabled individuals, tutoring at schools, developing public environmental projects, renovating bomb shelters, building parks and other public spaces and more.Hiking
A central element of the Livnot program is the hiking component. Chevre participate in several hikes every week, including, for longer programs, overnight desert hikes and three-day sea-to-sea hikes. Much of the “learning” that occurs during a Livnot program takes place during the hikes as participants discuss the elements of the Land of Israel and relate it to the story of the Jewish people and each individual’s Jewish identity and heritage.