This page is about an organisation. For the motor car engine, see Jaguar AJ6 engine

Jaguar AJ6 engine

The AJ6 , and the similar AJ16, was an inline-6 piston engine used by Jaguar in the 1980s and 1990s. It was designed to replace the much-loved Jaguar XK6 engine, and was introduced in 1984. The AJ6 was only the third engine ever designed by the company...

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AJ6 was a Jewish organisation open to all Jews in school years 11-13 in the UK. It was founded in 1977.
AJ6 was peer-led and had its own constitution. Until 2007, It ran both a membership side and a services side, the latter covering schools and campus. However, in October 2007, AJ6 handed over the services part of the organisation to the UJIA. As of July 2009 AJ6 ceased to exist in its previous form, teaming up with UJIA-JAMS to deliver activities through both mainstream and Jewish schools.

Activities

Following the closure of AJ6 in 2009, a new programme of activities such as campus visits, university mentors, campus skills training, advocacy sessions and university activist training is being developed. These new activities will be planned and run by professional youth workers, with input and assistance from experienced students and from sixtform participants. The programmes will be run with a similar ethos as AJ6 always had: cross-communal participation, an emphasis on peer leadership and an inclusive and supportive atmosphere for debate.

History

AJ6's vision was of an educated and tolerant Jewish community

Community

The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

, responsible for one another, excited and enriched by its Judaism

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 and inspired by its younger members. Its mission was to educate and develop Jewish fifth- and sixth-formers

Sixth form

In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...

, enabling them to shape Jewish life at school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

, on campus

Campus

A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...

 and in the wider community.

AJ6 ran regional meetings, where Jews aged 15-18 met with each other to socialize, discuss issues relevant to their lives and talk about future events.

In 2005 at AJ6's national conference, Shlomi

Shlomi

Shlomi or Shelomi can refer to:* Shlomi - the Hebrew name "שלומי" or "שלמי"* Shlomi, Israel - a development town in Israel* Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi - an Israeli film* Shlomi Arbeitman - an Israeli professional footballer...

, a small town on the northern Israeli border was made a region, making AJ6 an international movement. AJ6 had strong connections with Shlomi and invited young people over for conference, as well as giving them the opportunity to participate in AJ6's annual Israel and Europe tours in the summer. Conference 2006 saw the election of Shlomi's first regional chair, Doron Gerlitz. In addition to this, AJ6 Israel Tour Participants stayed in Shlomi with young Israelis for 2 days as part of the mifgashim, or encounters in order to educate AJ6 members about life in Israel.

As well as regional activities AJ6 ran four major national events a year: National Weekends in October, April and July and a five day Conference

Meeting

In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....

 in December. There were also at least two national "balls" each year: the Spring Ball and the summer Boat Ball.

Like many other Jewish youth movements, AJ6 ran summer tours to Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 and Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. In 2006, AJ6 became the first movement to include Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 on their Europe tour and in 2007 AJ6 was the first movement to run a 2 week Israel tour.

AJ6 also had its own gap year

Gap year

An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or...

programme, AJ6 Yearscheme - Shnat Hachshorah. Each year, about half a dozen participants from the UK and several from Shlomi spent ten months in Israel.