It must be stated from the outset that it is very difficult to give an accurate picture of the origins of the Bnei Akiva movement, either in this or other countries. Bnei Akiva was founded in Israel in 1929, and around that time, possibly a little earlier, groups existed in Poland and other Eastern European countries under the names Hashomer Hadati and Brit Hanoar. In July 1941 a group of people met in Woburn House, the then centre of Anglo-Jewish life in London, and decided to form a nationwide movement called Bnei Akiva. However, as early as 1939, groups of religious boys and girls were meeting in various parts of London under the name Bnei Akiva.

It is clear that the origins of our movement, and in fact its destiny, are bound up very closely with the history of the religious Zionist movement as a whole. Mizrachi, the first party within the Zionist movement, was a very influential force in Europe and many of the leading early Zionists were orthodox Jews and Rabbanim. With the founding of Hapoel Hamizrachi in 1921, the Zionist movement received official recognition of the fact that there could be a synthesis between Labour and torah. It was obvious that such an ideal had to be expressed within a youth movement of Hapoel Hamizrachi. The year 1955 saw another historic date – with the merger of Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi and the natural consequence that Bnei Akiva became the youth movement of this merged adult movement.

Of more specific interest to us is the history of the section of the movement in Great Britain and Ireland. The instigators of its foundation came from two sources. On the one hand there were the stalwarts of the ideology of Torah Va'Avodah who had supported its views for many years. On the other hand there was the great force of the German Bachad movement which entered this country at the outbreak of the war. This force consisted of those chaverim who were on Hachsharah on the continent and did not receive certificates for Aliyah in 1939. They therefore came to England as a temporary alternative and set up training centres, first in North Wales and later on stretching the length and breadth of the British Isles. This section was represented by Chaver Arieh Handler, sent as a shaliach from Israel, who organised the German chalutzim on Hachsharah in Britain. Therefore that historic meeting in July 1941 was attended by representatives of these two forces who saw the urgency of creating a religious Zionist youth movement which would spur the young Jews of Great Britain towards the ideals of Torah Va'Avodah and religious chalutziut. The subsequent years saw the growth and expansion of Bnei Akiva to all major Jewish communities in the country.

In 1942 the first summer camps were held and these were to become the outstanding annual event of the movement. Soon afterwards courses for madrichim were organised, publications began to appear and a nationwide movement took shape. In those early days our resources were small, our budget pitiful and yet the message of Bnei Akiva quickly spread and inspired the youth of that generation.

All this work could not have been possible without the constant help and guidance given by Bachad Fellowship. Through the active work of the various committees set up by Bachad Fellowship, the practical achievements of the movement itself increased each year.

Bnei Akiva in the UK

Bnei Akiva began its activities in the UK in 1939 with its first summer camps taking place in 1942. The movement's main aim is the promotion of Religious Chalutzik Aliyah and, for over fifty years, Bnei Akiva's record in this sphere has been unrivalled by any other Zionist youth movement.

Today our activities include summer and winter camps, hadrachah training courses, weekly meetings at over thirty centres around the UK, Shevet Weekends, Shabbatot Ha'lgrun, Israel Machanot, one-year programmes in Israel, and a number of Aliyah programmes designed to help our members make the difficult step to a life of Torah Va'avodah in Eretz Yisrael.

The Semel

The wheat gains its place on the Semel of Bnei Akiva as part of the Sheva Minim, and it also represents the agricultural side of Bnei Akiva's ideology of Torah Va'avodah. The olive branch represents the peace that we hope all Jews will live together by. The sythe and fork represent the tools used to work the Land of Israel The luchot represents the Torah. This is the book by which the Jewish religion is based and is governed by. The Semel has on it a Tav and Ayin, standing fro Torah and Avodah. To live in the land of Israel requires knowledge of the Torah and a knowledge of working the land.

All these symbols are enclosed in the wrapping of Bnei Akiva , literally meaning the Children of Akiva. This is referring to Rabbi Akiva who lived at the time of the destruction of the second temple (70 CE). We call ourselves by his name because of his actions and love of Torah.

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Bnei Akiva and Rabbi Akiva

As the name translates - "the children of Akiva", the idea of Bnei Akiva relates directly to the story of Rabbi Akiva. At the age of 40 years old, after growing up tending flock, he changed his ways and decided that he needed to find out the essence of the Jewish faith.

The story is told of how it happened: One day while attending to his flock, he noticed a rock onto which droplets of water kept dripping. He thought that if something as soft as water can penetrate this solid rock and cause it to erode, so can the Torah penetrate into me - a shepherd who at this time was solid in his ways. Thus we strive to be like Rabbi Akiva for his three qualities: (a) his love of Hashem, his devotion to the Torah and his ultimate death at Kiddush Hashem (having been killed by the Romans), (b) his love of Israel and his fight for its independence, (c) his love of labour and his respect for it, remembering always his early life.

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Yad Achim

The movement anthem is one of the symbolic devices within Bnei Akiva. It was composed by Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neriya. He was at one stage active in the Hanhalla 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 movement's undoubted symbols.

Although the words have changed somewhat, and in the beginning of the 1950s, 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.

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BA all over the UK

Each sviva runs its own weekly activities on a Shabbat afternoon. The thematic content of the weekly meetings are set down by the Educational Department of Bnei Akiva.

We have svivot in... Barnet, Belmont, Birmingham, Bushey,Cardiff, Cheadle, Chigwell, Edgware United, Edgware Yeshurun, Elstree and Borehamwood, Glasgow, Golders Green, Hale, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Hendon, Ilford, Kenton, Kinloss, Kinsgbury, Leeds, Liverpool, Mill Hill, Newcastle, Pinner, Sale, Salford, South Hampstead, South Woodford, Southgate, St Johns Wood, Stanmore, Wembley, Whitefield, Woodside Park.