Location

                                                                                                                 Near 'Moshav Ilaniya'.

Directions

It is recommended to arrive at 'Afula' center-station, then take line 442 or 541 to the 'Tzomet Ilan' stop, and walk straight through moshav “Ilaniya” until you arrive at the entrance of 'Havat Hashomer'.

Origin of the Name

The origin of the name Havat Hashomer was created When the farm was first established, it’s designation was for agriculture training and it’s name was 'Havat Sajara'. The farm became the “guard” organization center, which changed its name to - 'Havat Hashomer'.

A Little Bit of History

The workers who came for the agriculture training established the first hebrew guard organization “Bar-Giora”, which became “Hashomer”. One of the workers in Havat Hashomer was David Ben-Gurion. The farm was one of the combat sights during the war of independance. In the 'Sajara' battles forces have attacked the farm several times but have been warded off. In 1981, the general in staff Refael Eitan (Raful) initiated turning the farm into a base for basic training beneath the education corps designed to train recruits with difficulties of fitting in the IDF, and operates as so on to this day.

Nature of Service

The soldiers who will arrive at the base are those that during their first call-up and their enlisting process have discovered difficulties entering the army’s framework, and therefore need a framework such as 'Havat Hashomer'.

'Havat Hashomer' recruits these candidates to a suitable and a bit longer basic training, which is between ten to twelve weeks long, in order to provide tools and motivation for the recruits’ military service and also their civil life.

What Does 'Havat Hashomer' Include?

Because of the base’s history there is a museum displaying the base and location’s history. There are also new electronic boards placed in the base’s classrooms. Some of the bedrooms include bathrooms and showers inside the room, and some of the rooms share the same bathrooms and showers. There are eight soldiers in each room. Each platoon has a 'Mashakit tash', who gives an individual response to each soldier who needs. In the base there is also an armory, a medical clinic, a dental clinic, a 'Shekem', a synagogue, a soccer field and an obstacle course test area.

The Unique Qualities of the Base

This base believes in giving each soldier individual attention, and in giving each and every one of them an opportunity to express themselves. This environment will help you fulfill your potential through your military service and also through your civil life. You can see the base’s uniqueness also on it’s walls, the soldiers have a project called 'Kirot Medabrim' (talking walls), in which they made a graffiti wall with an artist. This projects helps the soldiers express their perspective of the world, and making the base feel more like home. In 'Havat Hashomer' there are different projects which each have special and important qualities.

In the harvesting season, the recruits and their commanders go together to an olive harvest, which they turn into oils - another unique feature that 'Havat Hashomer' has. The basic training in 'Havat Hashomer' has a unique 4o kilometer journey in which they carry all of their equipment on their backs for four days. During this travel they learn a lot about themselves and about their friends, and deal with situations that they haven’t experienced before.

The Commander’s Message

'Havat Hashomer' gives the soldiers that arrive the opportunity to bring out the best in themselves and to give them a little push in their path of life. We believe in giving individual attention to each soldier in order to bring out the best in them. The track of building your future begins here. It will not be easy and it is full of challenges, but the sky is the limit, as a combat soldier or as an officer. This is the place to be between equals in the israeli society. 'Havat Hashomer' has all of the conditions of success, it all depends on the decisions you will make from now on. We believe that you have the ability and desire to improve, as written on our symbol "Thanks to having faith in people.

- Lieutenant Colonel Amit Tzoman, commander of Havat Hashomer