Building Tomorrow’s Leaders:
A Conversation with Rabbi Shaul Feldman and Bini Dachs of Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada
Rabbi Aron White: Thank you both for meeting with me today. Could you start by explaining the nature, identity, and goals of Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada?
Rabbi Shaul Feldman (RSF): Bnei Akiva occupies a unique space within the Jewish community. We firmly believe that the State of Israel isn’t just a political entity; it’s an integral part of our religious identity. This means that every Jew, regardless of where they live, has a responsibility to contribute to Israel’s growth and well-being. Our summer camps (Moshava) and day camps (Moshava Ba’ir) immerse young people in this philosophy of Religious Zionism, fostering leadership, a deep connection to Israel, and a sense of responsibility for the Jewish people.
Bini Dachs (BD): And we start young! Bnei Akiva encourages leadership and responsibility from a very early age. Our day camps engage not just the kids but their entire families and communities in Religious Zionism. Over the years, we’ve grown tremendously and are now recognized for our excellence in programming. I actually started as a chanicha (camper) in Bnei Akiva and grew up through the movement, eventually becoming the Mazkira Artzit (National Director) and now the Assistant Director. It’s been a lifelong journey for me, and I’m passionate about passing that experience on to the next generation.
Can you tell me more about those summer camps and day camps, and how they’ve evolved?
RSF: Our five sleepaway camps offer a truly immersive experience. Campers spend two whole months living and breathing Religious Zionism. With the academic pressures kids face during the school year, summers provide a unique window for deep engagement and ideological growth. It’s where they shape their Jewish identity and commitment.
BD: We started Moshava Ba’ir day camps 12 years ago to engage children earlier. They offer a taste of Religious Zionism for younger kids and those who can’t attend sleepaway camp. They’re also fantastic for community building. I remember a successful moment after the first summer of Moshava Ba’ir. A mom from Englewood told me her daughter, who had attended, was screaming from the car, “There’s the Burma Road!” She understood what it was and explained it to her family. That’s when I realized we were reaching communities we wouldn’t normally reach, and it was very impactful.
What about your other summer program, Mach-Hach?
RSF: Mach-Hach is our Israel tour program for teens. Even with the current situation in Israel, we have over 1,100 teens signed up to visit this summer. It’s a powerful testament to their commitment and their parents’ trust in us. Thank G-d, we have created this reality that on Mach-Hach, you’re not getting only Bnei Akiva-niks – you’re getting kids who go to completely different camps. They’re all coming to Mach-Hach, and I’m very proud of it. And let’s be honest, you’ve got to be nuts not to go to Israel with Bnei Akiva. Everyone goes to the best; you buy the phone you want from the best phone company because they’re the experts. Who’s the expert on Israel? Bnei Akiva. So obviously, they’re going to come running to us.
BD: We’ve become the premier Israel tour program, known for a hands-on, authentic experience. Last year, despite the conflict, not one participant backed out. It was awe-inspiring to see their dedication. We had to make some adjustments to the schedule, but the teens were amazing. They understood they were on a mission, and they were supporting Israel by being there. We organized barbecues, they visited chayalim, mefunim (evacuees) – we tried to do those types of things. We brought in speakers, and it was very powerful to connect. We didn’t want them just to be touring; they had to understand what was going on with Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael at this time. That was something very different. It was a powerful experience for everyone involved.
RSF: What’s great about Medinat Yisrael, and I’m going to say it again and again – anybody who doesn’t believe that we’re living in days of redemption needs new glasses. It was a war zone, and yet these kids had a blast. They enjoyed themselves. They had fun. They loved it. It wasn’t in any way like, “Oh, I’m scared.” They just felt safe, sometimes safer than on the streets of New York. It was incredible. That’s really unbelievable, what Medinat Yisrael has become.
I’d also love to hear about your seminary and yeshiva programs, especially YTVA becoming a hesder yeshiva.
RSF: YTVA and MTVA (for young men and women, respectively) emphasize Torah V’Avoda – Torah and Service. They immerse students in Israeli life, high-level learning, and the realities of Israeli society. TVA started 11 years ago with that vision. It’s called Torah V’Avoda for a reason. We felt that a lot of the education we’re giving, not just to our own chanichim but to the community as a whole – not only someone who went to Bnei Akiva but people who came to Shabbatons or were involved or heard about us – could benefit from an institution where this was the criteria when we started. I still hold by that: we want a yeshiva and a midrasha that could only work in Medinat Yisrael. If I put that institution anywhere outside of Medinat Yisrael, it won’t work. That was the criteria; that’s what we started.
BD: The uniqueness of TVA is its integration into the community. Students engage in chesed, visit kibbutzim, and experience different facets of Israeli life. They also go on numerous Shabbatons, visiting all types of Jewish communities in Israel. It’s about understanding what it means to be part of Am Yisrael and what Israel is all about. It’s not just about learning in the beit midrash but about living and experiencing Torah in the context of modern Israel. After October 7th, the girls created a program, just by demand of the students, and they gave it a very catchy name: TVStay.
RSF: Yes, 14 girls staying half a year for shana bet, with the majority staying to either do sherut leumi, attend college in Israel, or join the army – we had a few who did army – and then a group that’s going to return to Stern. We believe that’s a post-October 7th outcome. But the hesder program was in the works already for a few years before; it takes a very long time to get accredited. That’s a whole article on its own, about how that happened, and some things you want to advertise, some things you don’t. But thank G-d we got the full accreditation, and it’s unbelievable – it’s flying. We currently have 24 soldiers serving, 34 new shana bet guys who are drafting in March, which means that come April this year, we’re going to have 60 active chayalim in the army. When they come out of the army, they live with us on campus in Baka; they’re part of the yeshiva. The Rebbes maintain their relationship with them throughout. It has transformed the whole yeshiva. Our 50 shana aleph guys constantly see the chayalim coming in and out and their commitment.
Bnei Akiva also organizes community events like the Ishay Ribo concerts. What’s the vision behind those?
BD: Post-COVID, we wanted to unite and uplift the Jewish community. Obviously, the world stopped, and we had to switch to Zoom programming. Even though we knew Zoom before, we had to change a lot, and we felt we needed to do something impressive and big to bring back this community and unite the Jewish people, and really show people what Bnei Akiva has been growing into. We’re sitting here talking, and you get excited thinking about how Bnei Akiva’s camps and yeshivot have done all these things, but people don’t always know that or understand how much we’ve done. So what better way than to take Madison Square Garden – the most famous arena in the world – and be the first ever to put a religious Jewish singer there? We came to him and said, “We want to fill up Madison Square Garden with you.” And he said, “Oh my gosh, that’s like a dream. But how would that happen?” We said, “Leave it to Bnei Akiva; we have a way in.”
It was incredibly powerful, uniting 18,000 people from all walks of Jewish life. After the October 7th attack, we channeled that energy into supporting the community and IDF soldiers through more concerts and other initiatives.
RSF: The concert was a huge success, but it was also challenging. We had to convince Madison Square Garden that we could pull it off, and there were logistical hurdles. But it was all worth it for the sense of unity and inspiration it created. It was amazing to see 18,000 people singing and davening together, regardless of their backgrounds or affiliations. It was a true testament to the power of Jewish music and shared identity. And we had to stick to our principles, making sure the entire event was shomer Shabbat, even with the secular staff involved. It was a powerful statement of our values. I’ll tell you a funny thing: It was my son’s bar mitzvah Shabbat in Israel, in Tzfat. It was Friday afternoon, and the way it works in the Garden is, if you want to “challenge” a date and lock it in, you need to put down $100,000, and that’s non-refundable. We were constantly challenging that date, but we were secondary. Someone else was holding that date for our Elul concert, and I got a call that morning in Israel – it’s winter, so it’s almost Shabbat already in Tzfat. We get a call: “Okay, your challenge was accepted. Are you willing to sign? You need to wire $100,000 now.” It’s an hour before Shabbat! Thank G-d, the chairman of our board was present at the bar mitzvah. So I told him, “Wayne, could you join me here? Let’s call two other board members. We need your approval.” Bini’s in America saying, “We’ve got to do this,” and thank G-d we’re blessed that our board members are really vigilant. Our board is amazing. They see it. They push us.
BD: Honestly, I think this was the best thing we ever could have done for Bnei Akiva because it put us on the map. No other major Jewish organization has ever done this. People say, “Why Ishay?” Ishay for us is a Bnei Akiva-nik. He comes from France. He made Aliyah. He’s dati, he’s growth-oriented, he’s a leader. He’s done so much for Am Yisrael. We share the same values, making us natural partners. We worked so well together because we both had the same vision of what we were trying to accomplish. It just felt so united as one.
With the upcoming elections for the World Zionist Congress, what role does Bnei Akiva play in educating and mobilizing the community?
RSF: The elections are a crucial opportunity to highlight the importance of Religious Zionism and encourage active participation. Supporting the Religious Zionist coalition also ensures funding for educational programs that strengthen our connection to Israel. We believe it’s crucial for the community to understand the impact of their vote, both in Israel and in the Diaspora. When you’re going to an election, it’s an opportunity to educate the community, but it’s also an opportunity for the community to say, “I want to be there. I see it. I see what they’re doing. I believe in it.” It’s time to come home to unify us and say, “This is who we are.” And it gives an opportunity to the community to put that little vote in that says, “I’m this. Push comes to shove, I’m this. I believe in this. I’m in awe of what they’re doing, I’m in awe of what I’m part of.” So this is the move to educate, but also for the community to look back and say, “I have a platform where I can be part of and identify 100% with the commitment to Torah, commitment to chayalim, commitment to Medinat Yisrael,” and, as I said in the beginning, that the State of Israel is part of my religious identity – not just a state. It’s not just like July 4th; it’s my religious identity. So we’re very excited that the election is coming at a time when there’s a platform to give the Jewish community an ability to identify with something they believe in and to demonstrate that.
BD: One thing that is very important for people to understand is that these elections also have outcomes in dollars here in the United States. When you are supporting this coalition, Bnei Akiva will get funding to run Religious Zionist programming. Everyone in that coalition will get funding to run Religious Zionist programming. That’s what it’s doing. So it’s not just “I’m supporting Israel” – you’re supporting yourselves. Because if you want to have a meaningful Yom HaAtzmaut program, if you want to receive a packet on how to run a Religious Zionist Yom HaAtzmaut tekes (ceremony), if you want those things to happen, these elections bring dollars to make this happen.
Thank you both for sharing your time and insights. I’m truly inspired by the work Bnei Akiva is doing. It’s clear that you’re making a significant impact on the Jewish community and the future of Israel.
BD & RSF: Thank you, Aron. We appreciate your interest and support. We’re excited about the future and look forward to continuing to build a strong, connected, and committed Jewish community.