Who We Are

Bnei Akiva is the world's largest religious Zionist youth organization. It is active all over the world, with over 50,000 members. Bnei Akiva believes that through religious commitment and work on the land of Israel, Jewish youth can achieve fulfillment and self - realization in an age of turmoil and unrest.
As a pioneering Zionist youth movement, Bnei Akiva believes that it is a crucial mitzvah of Judaism to return to the land of Israel. Indeed the future of the Jewish people is obviously tied to the state of Israel. Bnei Akiva feels Jewish youth in the Diaspora must be educated to the realization that the Jewish State needs them, and they need the Jewish State.
Bnei Akiva operates local Shabbat groups, summer camps, leadership seminars, Shabatonim, and activities in six continents. Naturally, the center focus of Bnei Akiva is located in Israel, where Bnei Akiva is extremely active and where many members of Bnei Akiva participate in Bnei Akiva activities before they make Aliya.

The Semel

The Emblem of Bnei Akiva is made up of different objects each relating to a different aspect of our ideology. The farming utensils and the wheat sheaves relate to the agricultural perspective of the ideology. The two tables of stone in the center relate to the Torah perspective of Bnei Akiva's ideology. The two perspectives of Torah and Avoda are united together by the ribbon which says Bnei Akiva on it- symbolizing that the two aspects can only and must work hand in hand. The letters on the two tablets are 'Taf" and 'Ayin' standing for "Torah va'avoda"- Torah and serving (either the land of Israel or the God of Israel.)

The Himnon

The movement anthem is one of the symbolic devices within Bnei Akiva. It was composed by HaRav Moshe Zvi Neriya (originally known as Chaver Minkin). He was at one stage active in the Hallacha of Bnei Akiva, and composed the movement anthem during Chol Hamoed Succot 5692 (1932) at a gathering of Madrichim in Kfar Saba. The anthem soon spread to become one of the movements undoubted symbols. Although the words changed somewhat, and in the beginning of the 1950's the tune was also changed (possibly due to its similarity with the 'Bundistim' in Poland). No one can imagine a movement celebration without the singing of the anthem.