Habonim Dror

Habonim Dror (Hebrew: הַבּוֹנִים דְּרוֹר, "the builders–freedom") is a Jewish Labor Zionist youth movement. It was formed in 1982 through the merger of two earlier movements: Habonim and Dror. Dror (Hebrew: דְּרוֹר, "freedom") originated in Poland in 1915 as an offshoot of the Tze'irei Zion (Youth Of Zion) youth movement. After the majority of Tze'irei Zion merged with Hashomer in 1913 to form Hashomer Hatzair, members who did not join the new organization founded Dror. The movement was influenced by the Russian Narodniks' philosophy. Habonim (Hebrew: הַבּוֹנִים, "the builders") was established in 1929 in the United Kingdom and later expanded to other English-speaking countries. While each national branch developed independently, they maintained a shared ideology centered on Jewish and Labor Zionist cultural values. During World War II, members of Dror were active in resistance efforts, including participation in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Dror members, including Mordechai Tenenbaum, organized underground factions in the Białystok Ghetto. Dror was affiliated with HaKibbutz HaMeuhad, while Habonim was aligned with the Ichud kibbutzim. Following the 1980 merger of these kibbutz movements into the United Kibbutz Movement, their youth movements also united, resulting in the formation of Habonim Dror.