After all of the celebrations in Israel in the summer it was time to bring the festivities over to the UK, seeing as this is where Habo was born! Over 150 people turned up to celebrate Habonim turning 80 this year by celebrating in style with a true Habo style party to mark the birthday of this historic movement. Due to the great amount of Habo graduates from all over the world, the tickets sold out in less than 48 hours for the event at Ivy House LJCC on Sunday 22nd November. The event was designed to celebrate the past achievements of the movement and aim to be a strong body driving the movement through the next 80 years. The night raised over £1,500 from an auction, over £500 from the raffle, and over £3,000 in total.  All the proceeds for the event are going towards the Habonim Dror bursary fund, enabling future generations to go on camps and Israel programmes. 

The event commenced with a reception exhibition of Habonim Dror through the decades, allowing the guests to reminisce with old friends and catch up with current ones. Then boger of Habonim Dror, Dan Patterson, was compare for the evening. The quiz mixed Habonim trivia with current affairs and was a quiz like no other, as we replaced traditional rounds with the song game – where the participants had to sing their way to glory!

Mazkir of Habonim Dror Sam Green, made a short presentation of the movement and where the proceeds of the event will go, said, “it is such a wonderful occasion and it is reasons like this that make me proud to be part of such an historic and ideological movement. It is often forgotten in day to day work just how big the Habonim Dror network spreads and events like this show that we are still loved around the community.”

Voluntary event organizers Gary Sakol and Anthony Ashworth-Steen commented, “We were extremely pleased with how the event went.  A great atmosphere from start to finish, showing just what the Habonim Dror spirit is all about.  It is times like these that make us proud to still be part of the movement, and we look forward to helping the movement in the next few decades. Chazak Ve’amatz”. 

Habo in the Jewish News - Click here