In doing a search, I find many references to Habonim-Dror (maybe some sort of camp for youth?). I know there are a number of Ezra Habonim synagogues in the Chicagoland area (one in Northbrook, one in Chicago, maybe more?).
What does Habonim mean? Or is this after a person (a certain Ezra Habonim)? If the latter, who was he and why is he memorialized so?
WRS
From the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habonim
I believe that Habonim is the Hebrew word for “builders.”
Haj
Habonim means “builders,” I believe. Habonim Dror means “Builders - Freedom,” and is the name of the Progressive Labor Zionist Youth Movement in Israel, a socialist Jewish organization. Ezra Habonim is the name of a number of synagogues, and means “Ezra the builder” (?plural?) – Ezra led/chronicled the second return from exile, after the building of the second temple. Some organizations called Habonim Ezra are affiliated with Habonim Dror, and others are not.
Minor nitpick - Habonim means The Builders. Boneh - builder, bonim - builders. Boneh, incidentally, also means “beaver”.