After a search committee scoured for a number of months, World Bnei Akiva (WBA) elected new leadership for their movement: Rabbi Zvi Elon will serve as secretary-general and Tzachi Megnagy will serve as CEO. World Bnei Akiva is a religious Zionist youth movement and a sister movement of Bnei Akiva Israel.
This decision came after the former secretary-general, Ohad Tal, joined the Religious Zionist Party (RZP) and was elected to Knesset nearly six months after he began his role.
Who are new WBA heads Rabbi Zvi Elon and Tzachi Megnagy?
Elon had served as the rabbi of Latin American Jewish communities on behalf of the Mizrachi movement and cofounded a religious Zionist community in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was also the rabbi of the city of Caesarea.
“I thank the World Council for choosing me,” Elon said, adding “the purpose of the World Bnei Akiva is to create a bridge between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, in order to prevent assimilation, strengthen the younger generation of Jews’ connection to Israel and, of course, encourage aliyah.”
נבחרו מזכ"ל ומנכ"ל לבני עקיבא העולמיתבתפקיד המזכ"ל יכהן הרב צבי אלון ולצידו בתפקיד המנכ"ל יכהן צחי מגנאג'יהרב אלון היה רב קהילות אמריקה הלטינית של תנועת המזרחי ושותף להקמת קהילה ציונית דתית בבואנוס איירס. מגנאג'י ניהל בשנים האחרונות את היכל שלמה, מנהל חינוכי במסע יהודי ועוד pic.twitter.com/7qDJ26bD0l
— Zvika Klein צביקה קליין (@ZvikaKlein) January 5, 2023
Megnagy managed the Heichal Shlomo center in Jerusalem over the past few years. He had formerly served as vice president and educational director at the Jewish Journey tourism company. Megnagy has been an educational leader of youth groups and students from abroad, an emissary to Jewish communities and a tour guide in Israel and in Poland.
He said that “as someone who grew up as a participant in the Bnei Akiva movement, I am thrilled by my election for the position of CEO of World Bnei Akiva.” He added that he sees this as an “important mission to connect our brothers in the Diaspora to the values of the Torah and the Land of Israel.”
"[We have an] important mission to connect our brothers in the Diaspora to the values of the Torah and the Land of Israel"
World Bnei Akiva CEO Tzachi Megnagy
He added, “I will try to do my best so that World Bnei Akiva will continue to be an important and significant influencing factor in the lives of Jewish communities abroad, and to help the movement continue to grow and influence Israelis as well.”