Omer Ainbinder: Aderet – Cultivating Israeli Hope

Aderet was founded in 2001 and operates as an Israeli Beit Midrash that offers an alternative to social polarization: education for national responsibility, civic-minded statism, and mutual responsibility. The Mechina nurtures a generation that seeks to take responsibility and lead the State of Israel into its centennial year מתוך a deep sense of mission and national commitment.

We chose to work through educational partnerships within four youth villages, creating a learning environment where participants take responsibility for Israeli society from day one and engage in meaningful encounters between diverse populations. Our goal is to cultivate a hopeful young generation—religious and secular, from the center and the periphery—who believe in their ability to make an impact and recognize the importance of taking part in shaping Israel’s future.

At the heart of our work lies a Zionist–civic vision that seeks to foster a shared sense of mission: a Zionism that connects between tribes, builds bridges between people, and restores to Israeli society the capacity to act מתוך shared responsibility and collective commitment to building a common future.

Out of our work with youth villages, and מתוך the belief in cultivating leadership from targeted populations and expanding circles of influence, the Mechina Association launched the “Ma’alot” initiative—a program advancing social mobility for at-risk youth.

Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, tens of thousands of wounded soldiers have joined the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense. We believe that this population has a unique role in healing Israeli society and shaping its future.

What Is the “Beit Arazim – Fighters for Israeli Hope” Program?

Beit Arazim is a social initiative for soldiers wounded in Israel’s wars in general, and in the Iron Swords War in particular. It is grounded in the belief that from pain and courage, new leadership can emerge for a renewing society. The program strengthens the resilience and capabilities of wounded fighters and integrates them into positions of influence within Israel’s public, security, and educational systems.

What Is the “Ma’alot” Program?

Ma’alot is a unique, groundbreaking leadership program for boys and girls from youth villages—young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are often excluded from circles of influence.

Over six years of accompaniment, from 11th grade through the end of military service, the program provides personal mentoring, a strong sense of belonging, exposure to leadership and Jewish-Zionist identity, preparation for a year of realization and meaningful service, and real support in breaking barriers of language, access, and opportunity.

Today, Ma’alot operates in eight youth villages and is fundamentally changing participants’ life trajectories: rates of integration into preparatory academies, service years, and command roles have surged, and participants report a dramatic increase in self-efficacy, belonging, and confidence in their path.

Ma’alot aspires to reach hundreds of participants across its various stages, become a national initiative, and open the door to a future in which every young person who grew up in a youth village and seeks it receives a real opportunity for fulfillment, leadership, and meaningful service to the State of Israel.

We Are Raising Funds to Ensure:

1. The expansion of the Ma’alot program—launching boys and girls from youth villages onto a path of leadership, a year of realization, and meaningful service, creating real social mobility.
2. The strengthening of Beit Arazim—providing wounded fighters with hope and avenues for impact.
3. Reaching more young people nationwide, opening additional branches, and enabling more youth to develop capability, identity, and leadership.
4. Long-term continuity—an active alumni network, a dynamic community of action, and long-term engines of impact that continue shaping Israeli society well beyond the Mechina year.

This campaign enables us to turn a dream into action and plant hope for a better future.

With your support, we cultivate young leadership from across Israeli society—youth from villages, young people seeking to lead, and wounded fighters who choose to transform their stories into a force for building and influence.

Together, we build responsibility, partnership, and civic-minded statism.

Together, we turn hope into action.

Israeli hope begins here.