"Who Saw Who Heard About the Ten Dibrot"

"Who Saw Who Heard About the Ten Dibrot" Israel Ring



Between independence to preliminary obedience
The worst thing that could happen to the youth is that no one would try to "implant" anything in them. That every adult will only present them with mediocre choices, lukewarm problems, deliberations here and there, - That no teacher, parent or guide will take the responsibility for a certain perception or for a personal ability to identify with ideals and sincerely fight for them. This neutrality that is so recommended by the "freedom" protectors, that call not to interfere with the young's soul and fear indoctrination as a black plague –this neutrality will not lead to independent and vigorous thought, but will teach the young a totally different lesson: "the whole thing isn’t worth it", "what's the fuss about?", "enthusiasm is unnecessary ", "every one is right and/or wrong".

Self-neutralization of education is a sign for the illness of society that no longer believes in its own right to exist. Every healthy society, every movement who believes in its path (religious as secular) has always seen itself obligated to educate its sons in light of their path and goals.

Youngsters need challenges and living role models. These are not only patterns of thinking, but also reserves of emotion and will. What brings to fertile intellectual thought and action is a strongly emotional clash, positive or negative. A person agrees with all his heart or objects with all his heart. Freezing ideas in a "logical freezer" is a good way to send them to museums.

Our movement learned quickly to adapt educational methods accordingly to the age of chanichim. There is no doubt that the younger kids (11-13 years old) expect clear instructions rather than problem solving. Kids want to be led, either by a leading character their own age or by a mature madrich. He who wants to teach them the commandments of Hashomer-Hatzair shouldn't expect them to open a deep discussion over each commandment.
But if the madrich avoids "influencing" them in order to maintain their independence – he should at least remember that other "influence channels" aren't as delicate and sensitive as him. The implanting of new ideas, laws, wills and ideals continues day by day and year by year. And the media, the street culture, schools, parents, children books and adults' advise are all competing for this influence.

In this way an absurd situation will occur: a delicate, understanding educational movement restrains itself not to make its positive mark on the "young soul", and at the same time, the young soul goes through a process of kneading and shaping by indelicate and irresponsible factors. The result: not a free soul but a mashed and crooked soul. Proofs? The flourishing health of the western culture.

Whoever presents the commandments for the first time to younger ages has to present them again to the teenagers, so they can see them critically, in an independent and growing thought. The youth movement is the best opportunity for independent thought, encouraged by common thought.

While presenting his own opinion, by his beliefs and in the most honest way, the madrich enables a free argument and also fuels it by introducing opposing opinions.
The 14-18 years old are anyway in the midst of their rebellious years and are required to swing between the current values and the desired values. The madrich is called for help. If he will try to "sell" them the movement’s views as the one and only way, without competition – doubt if he will succeed. But if he will show himself and them that the movement's values stand firmly in the struggle, and grow from confrontation with opponents – he will help a lot to the freedom of thought and to the enrooting of the shomeric perception.

So let it be clear, folks: Hashomer Hatzair isn't a youth club; isn't a salon community; isn't a dance club; It is a pioneering youth movement that has to swim against the stream, and gives its part to rescue these people from second exile within the homeland, from sick materialism, from destructive economical parasitism, from white-outside and dirty-inside collars, from fancy and empty declarations behind which there is a bulldozer expanding deadly gaps between rich and poor, between ethnic groups, between people. Whoever thinks only of maneuvering his independence and of pampering his bellybutton, and all of the above is boring for him – his place is not in Hashomer Hatzair.