Goals

• To create a safe environment for personal reflection, group discussion and individual maturation towards making the decision to be part of the Garin, move to Israel, and serve in the IDF.

• To provide important information regarding the program and to enable Garin members to acquire practical and mental skills to deal with the different aspects of the decision to move to Israel.

• To build a strong, cohesive group that will become a central source of comfort and support for its members throughout the program and their army service.

​

Preparation process major components

• Group seminars over a period of six months, prior to the group’s arrival in Israel.

• The network of relationships developed between the Garin members themselves as well as between the group and the Garin staff.

• Individual steps each member must take; such as meeting with the local Aliyah Shaliach, filling out the various forms on-line, and obtaining information from the Internet and local community resources.

 

Preparation Outline

From our perspective, the personal maturation process each individual undergoes prior to moving to Israel is critical both in terms of ensuring a sound, rational decision made by each individual, and having a successful absorption process and army service in Israel. Experience has shown that Garin members who do not participate in the preparation process, or join it at a later stage, experience extensive difficulties in Israel, both in the kibbutz/city setting and in the military service itself.  The seminars, that take place over the weekends, are conducted simultaneously all around the world; in North America, Europe, Israel and Australia.  The first seminars are highly informative and heavily based on group dynamics and team building. In the beginning of the process, the seminars are open to anyone who is considering the program and who has submitted all the required forms. Participants in this stage are not obligated to continue their participation in the program.  In the later seminars, there is a screening process in which individual interviews take place, and a close examination of each member’s place in the program is evaluated. We do not presume to determine whether or not someone is suitable for either Aliyah or military service in the IDF. However, we do examine the individual suitability to the program and the specific group that is being formed.  Garin members must participate in a minimum set of seminars that will be determined by the region, including the last seminar in the process in which a final approval is made for each applicant.