Goals:

1.      To generate the feeling that they are part of something larger than just their    local snif . Bnei Akiva is really a worldwide organization.

2.      To generate excitement in Bnei Akiva so that the chanichim will want to take part in tochniot.

Peulah:

1.       “The Shark Game”

Materials: You will need a whole bunch of objects that the chanichim can step on. Each one should be large enough that a person can get both feet on to it with a little room left over. A large paper plate or something slightly larger is ideal. You should about have one for each chanich.

How to Play: The purpose of the game is for the chanichim to get from one side of the room to the other without stepping on the floor. The floor is the sea and the two sides of the room are the shore. It is not likely that there will be another splitting of the sea and they don’t want to get wet in their Bigdei Shabbat. They must somehow cross without falling in. Luckily, they have those paper plates you brought (or some unbreakable equivalent) and they can use those to step on. By putting plate after plate on the floor, they can easily get across. The catch is, that the madrichim are the sharks. Sharks eat plates (and people). If, at any time, there is a plate on the floor without a foot on it, then the shark eats the plate. Also, if a foot should ever touch the floor than the shark can eat the person. Since most of you probably don’t like eating plates (or people) just send them back if a foot touches the floor and take away any plate which doesn’t have a foot on it, making them continue with one less plate. If they make too many mistakes than they’ll eventually run out of plates.

The point of the game is that they have to work together to successfully cross the sea. Every plate must always have a foot on it and that means that the plates will usually be shared as one person gets on and one person gets off. Also, they need to do it as a group. Although one person could theoretically cross by himself using two plates, here there is only one plate per person. You can’t win unless the whole group is across and you must start over again even if only one person falls in.

If there are enough chanichim, split them into groups and make it a race. It is much more fun and much more difficult when there’s competition. Even if there aren’t enough chanichim for two teams, give them a time limit.

Sicha:

There are different ways of looking at this peulah. One way is to think that these are separate people having nothing in common except for the fact that they need to cross the sea. Once there, they will drift apart, not caring what the other one does. That, however, is an artificial way of looking at it.

Another view is that the people are a group with a common goal. They want to cross the sea. Not only do they need each other to cross; they will not consider it a success unless the whole group makes it to the other side. And although there are obstacles (sharks) in the way, with everyone working together the entire group crosses successfully.

Bnei Akiva is a group of people with many things in common, specifically the commitment to Torah and Erects Israel. We too have a common goal. (At the risk of making the peulah into a “mashal”), we are on one shore (North America) and want to cross (make aliyah) to the other shore (Israel). It is possible to succeed alone but we are a group and in general, need each other’s help. Even if one of us makes it to Israel, we do not consider it a complete success until all of the Jews have joined us. Unfortunately, many obstacles (sharks) lie in the way. Luckily, we are not alone. There are many people who share our goal and are waiting to help us and hoping we help them.

Who are these people and where are they? Firstly, your snif is part of a youth movement which covers the entire globe, under the name of Bnei Akiva Olami (International). The movement includes snifim in all sorts of places like South America and even Scandinavia. Your specific snif is part of Bnei Akiva of North America which includes snifim in all sorts of cities like Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Silver Spring, Cleveland, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Montreal, Toronto, Florida, Boston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Sunnyvale.

There are two people in charge of Bnei Akiva of North America this year. They are Mark Shinar, the Mirakez Glilim (in charge of all the different snifim in the different cities) and Kira Weiss, the Mirakezet Tochniot (in charge of all the National Programs that Bnei Akiva runs like TVI, AMI, and Mach’Hach Ba’aretz). Also, there is a Mazkir Galil in charge in each city to make sure that everything runs well.

So if Bnei Akiva has so many people in it, what can you do to be a part. Well, you’re already doing something by coming to snif every Shabbat. By coming, besides having fun, you involve yourself in Bnei Akiva on a weekly basis. This way, you maintain a strong connection with the movement. Furthermore, your galil probably runs programs pretty often. Go to them. You’ll have a great time, learn a bit, and be an active member in a great youth movement. Maybe your galil has certain traditions it follows, like doing a certain program every year or doing something special for the chagim. Keep the traditions alive! Camp Moshava is also a part of Bnei Akiva , filling the summer months when there is no snif in the city. Also, Bnei Akiva doesn’t have to end when you get to old for snif. Think about if you know anyone who is in Bnei Akiva now and was also in it twenty years ago. There are plenty of people like that, maybe even your parents.

            Finally, what does it mean to be part of a large group. Why is this such a good thing. First of all, it can give you a sense of belonging wherever you go. When you go to different cities on your high school shevet shabbatonim, you will meet new people. Soon, you’ll know people across North America because of your involvement in Bnei Akiva. You’ll meet people on the street and they’ll ask you what shevet you’re in and you’ll instantly have a connection with them. You’ll feel like you belong wherever you go. But even more important than that is the reason stated in the peulah. We can accomplish much more as a group. Like the old saying goes, “united we stand, divided we fall”. We’re more likely to accomplish our goal of getting to Israel if we have a whole bunch of people supporting us.

            In “Borei Nifashot” we thank Hashem for being “…borei nifashot rabot vichesronot…” Why for chesronot (inadequacies) also? Because if we didn’t have any faults than we would never need anybody else and society wouldn’t exist. So as much as we hate to admit it, we all have shortcomings. Therefore, there are some things which other people can do better than us. That’s why a group has more potential than a single person. In a group, many people can combine their many positive traits together in order to overcome their faults and get to their goal.

            Regarding the power of a group, Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch says it best:

            “ …Thus it is only from the hands of the community that any individual at any given time is given his task, and it is only within the framework of his community that he can fulfill it. For the mission reaches far beyond the limited moral and intellectual capacity of the short-lived individual. But a community cannot die; a community can do all things. It is only within the framework of the community that all limitations can be compensated for, that wants can be supplied, and therefore, the individual can discharge his task only as part of the community.”