Friends of Bnei Akiva works closely, in a spirit of friendship and co-operation, with Bnei Akiva. Its members, made up of parents, former members and well-wishers, fundraise for capital projects,as well as supporting Bnei Akiva with funds for its educational work.

Friends of Bnei Akiva also provide grants for needy individual children towards the cost of various Bnei Akiva camps, Israel trips, and other events.

Only in Britain is there this unique partnership spanning the generations. It happens in no other country and for no other movement.

If you would like to become involved, call Friends of Bnei Akiva on 020 8458 9370 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bachad Fellowship - A History

Before the second World War there existed a religious Zionist youth movement in Germany called Brit Chalutzim Daatim - shortened to its initial letters Bachad. Its members prepared themselves for aliya. A group of them came over to England among the refugees who were permitted to enter this country in the years immediately before the war.

They were accommodated in a Castle in Wales and set up hachsharah centres in Broomsgrove and other places, as well as a Merkaz limmud in Manchester to which members came from the hachsharah centres for periods of three or six months for intensive Jewish studies.

Later on a farm was bought at Thaxted in Essex which became not only a model hachsharah centre but very quickly a successful agricultural venture which at one time won first prize for having the best milk yielding cow in Essex!

These activities which grew rapidly with the German refugees being joined by many young English boys and girls, becanie too much for the youngsters to cope with so far as material resources were concerned. They had attrac- ted a great deal of notice in the national press and became much respected in the Anglo-Jewish community. they drew together a group of adults to help them out - and that group was called the Bachad Fellowship, which thus became a unique institution, created by youth for youth.

Since that time, the Bachad Fellowship has continued uninterruptedly to function, although the facilities and amenities which it provided and provides have changed with the changing needs of each period.

Hachsharah in the diaspora ceased in the fifties, so the centres were closed and the farm sold. Instead, youth centres were established in London, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester and Dublin. Premises have also been acquired in Golders Green.

Since hachsharah has been diverted to Israel, Bachad Fellowship sponsors a scheme called BASI (Bnei Akiva Scholarship Institute) under which senior members of the Bnei Akiva movement spend a year, even two if they can, in Israel, studying and working, finding out for themselves what it will be like to live in the country, especially on a kibbutz.

Bachad Fellowship pursues its aims in various directions to strengthen the Jewish consciousness among those young Jews who are already committed, and to help those who are not, to find their Jewish identity.

Bachad Fellowship does not seek to teach, still less to preach: its aim and purpose is to provide opportunities for young Jews to come into contact with Jewish ideas, outlooks, attitudes, to see for themselves the spiritual wealth of Judaism and its relevance to our day. It has answers - they need not be accepted but they cannot be rejected if they are not known.

Registered Charity Number: 1109706

The Alexander Margulies Youth Centre
2 Hallswelle Road, London NW11 0DJ
Telephone: 020 8458 9370 Fax: 020 8209 0107
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it