Vision
BINA’s Mechinat Masabacha creates opportunities for positive interpersonal interactions among diverse individuals, with a focus on multiculturalism and shared interests, building networks of Jewish and Arab young adults who will speak out in their communities in support of a more tolerant, shared society.
Masabacha is about mutuality, about learning to live together in a shared society to create a better future for the state of Israel.
Activity
Mechinat Masabacha is a unique gap-year program for 30 young adults aged 18-19 who embark on a six-month journey through Israeli society, gaining a deep familiarity with diverse communities, groups, and locations in Israel. Through 3-4 weeklong interactions, participants learn about other ethnic and religious identities and are empowered to understand and express their own identities and become life-long advocates and change agents for a more cohesive Israeli society. The group is made up of young people from a broad cross section of the population – religious and secular, Jews, and Arabs, from towns and villages across the country.
Each week the schedule includes meetings with the host community exposing the participants to the lifestyle, values, and challenges of the community. They also spend time on in-depth study with a range of community members. Participants spend two afternoons every week volunteering in the host communities with organizations and schools chosen according to the community’s specific needs. Living, learning, and working in Israel’s socio-geographic periphery exposes participants to the complexities and challenges of each sector, leading towards understanding, empathy – and ultimately – responsibility for a more cohesive, tolerant, pluralistic society in Israel.