Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation
The Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation (, Hit'ahdut HaTzofim VeHaTzofot BeYisrael) is Israel's federation of the five Scouting organizations in Israel, sorted by religious affiliation. Some 90,000 boys and girls belong to organizations in the federation. History The first Scout and Guide groups were founded in 1919. The federation was created in 1954 under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Education. The Israeli Scouts movement became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1951, after the establishment of the State of Israel and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1963. In 2009, Tzofim celebrated its 90th birthday. To mark the occasion, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met members of Tzofim at his office, where he told stories of his youth in the Modi'in troop in Jerusalem. Principles Scout troops in Israel have always been coeducational. The federation in Israel is separated based on religious affiiliation: secular Jews, religious Jews, Muslim Arab, Christian Arab, and Druze scouts. Tzofim is open to everyone regardless of race, color, creed, or socioeconomic standing. Israeli Scouts come from all sectors of Israeli society. The Federation goals: Serving as the umbrella organization for