Dear Hashomer Community, Our Movement Needs You!

I'm Ori Ben Itay, a 20-year-old Political Science student at St. Joseph’s University and the new Mazkira of Hashomer Hatzair USA. I love to draw, design my own clothes, and learn about natural and herbal medicines.

Even though I only joined the movement a few years ago, Hashomer Hatzair has become one of the most important parts of my life. When I first came to Mosh in the summer of 2023, I thought I was just signing up for a summer camp but I quickly realized that this was so much more than just camp. Mosh showed me what intentional community really looks like.

Today, I’m proud to lead this movement as the new Mazkira.

As I step into this role, I want to grow our year-round programming, making Hashomer a more active and accessible community for young people. Between the war in Gaza, the weakening of democracy at home, and the rise in antisemitism, the past few years have been challenging for us as American Jewish youth, and 2025 was no exception. I can only imagine how much harder it must be for those who don’t have a community like ours. I want to help them find this community at the right time in their lives, just as I did.

Beyond the sense of belonging, I love Hashomer because of what it creates in the world. I was so inspired by the Jewish–Palestinian Youth Peace Summit we organized this summer. For the first time, we brought together Israelis, Palestinians, and American Jews to speak, listen, learn, and imagine a shared future. Discovering one another’s humanity and talking about hope reminded me why our movement matters so deeply.

So much of what we accomplished this year reflects our goal of expanding Hashomer’s reach:

• The Hashomer Hatzair Bayit completed its first full year of activities, offering a new space in New York City for chanichim/ot, hadracha, and new friends to explore ideas about Judaism, Israel, and social justice.

• Our Bnei Mitzvah Program, offering a critical lens to this important Jewish rite of passage and empowering our chanichim/ot to shape their own Jewish journeys.

• We completed 6 different Yom Mosh projects, from fixing tzrifim to building new beds, and expect to have a new pool by next summer! 

• And Mosh Kayitz 2025 welcomed over 170 chanichim, continuing to grow and flourish as the heart of our movement.

These projects and so much more, are only possible because of you: our bogrim/ot, friends, and community. As we close this year, I ask you to help ensure that these efforts continue. If you believe in the power of our movement please consider making a gift to our Year-End Campaign today.

Chazak ve' Ematz, 

Ori Ben Itay, Mazkira 2025-2026