
Last week, the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (“the working and studying youth”) youth movement marked 100 years of activity.
A post published by the movement on Tuesday read: “Over the years, members of the movement have repeatedly enlisted in the national missions of the State of Israel. A long and strong chain of participants, counselors, and groups who guide, fight, actualize, settle, absorb new immigrants.”
According to the movement's website, it currently has more than 95,000 members, 600 pre-army service year volunteers (including two tracks and national service) and about 700 soldiers in the Nahal track and volunteers in national service, all working toward the values of “the equality of human value, democracy, Zionism, peace, and social justice.” The movement operates in 650 branches throughout Israeli society: in cities, kibbutzim and moshavim, and in Arab and Druze society, and also serves as the legal representative for working youth in Israel.
The movement was founded in 1924 as HaNoar HaOved (“the working youth”) by 35 young workers aiming to improve their working conditions and protect their rights. The movement later came to care for other aspects of the working youths' lives, such as running educational activities in the evening after work hours. Subsequently, groups of several dozen movement graduates helped establish numerous kibbutzim throughout the country.
In 1959, HaNoar HaOved and the Tnua HaMeuchedet—a pioneering youth movement that worked among youth who were in school rather than working—merged. Following the unification, the movement changed its name to HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed—the working and studying youth.
“In the midst of this difficult period, we wish all the people of Israel that we live in complete security, that all our hostages will return, that we will be privileged to continue the human chain for at least another 100 years,” the movement wrote on its Facebook post.
This article was translated from Hebrew by Benji Sharp.