Questions about the Israel Trail Teen Adventure (ITTA) Hermon & Meiron Groups

Eligibility

• Who is eligible?

• Can I do part of the trip?

• Will the tour be in English?

• What is our route?

• What is the overall program?

• Do I need to bring my own camping stuff?

• What should I bring?

• How do I shower and take care of myself?

• Is there anything I cannot bring on the program?

• What if there is an emergency?

• Will the food be kosher?

• How will Shabbat be observed?

• Will there be daily prayer and learning?

• Why are the ITTA groups separated into all-male and all-female groups?

• How do I apply? What are the costs?

• Are there scholarships available?

Answers

• Who is eligible?
  ITTA is designed for boys and girls who are currently in grades 9-12, I.E high school aged teens. Participants who have completed 8th grade will be accepted on a case by case basis, provided they are both physically strong enough and mature enough to participate. We expect most participants to be from North America and Israel, although the program is open to participants from any country. Participants must be highly motivated and excited to join in all the group's activities.

• Can I do part of the trip?
  A significant benefit of ITTA for the participants is the trust and group bonding that occurs. It can be disruptive to the group dynamics if people are coming and going. So partial participation is discouraged, however you can discuss your special circumstances with us. We might be able to accommodate your situation.

• Will the tour be in English?
  All of our staff memebers are bilingual so everyone should feel comfortable to speak the language of their choice. Hopefully both English-speakers and Hebrew-speakers will improve their English and Hebrew respectively.

• What is our route?
  Below is a general outline of the trip itinerary:
  • Welcome & Orientation at Hermon field school
  • Begin hiking in the foot hills of the Hermon mountain range with our packs
  • Hiking daily for 3 weeks to just south of Haifa (distance of 215 KM)
  • Camping out each night in tents or under the stars
  • Includes 3 Shabbatot (which are camping out)
  • Includes 2 mountain-biking days on the way
  • Includes 2 rock-climbing days on the way
  • A bus ride to the south with a night & shower in a field school
  • A 3 day desert trek with Camels
  • Spending one Shabbat in a field school in the south
  • Volunteer project on the trail and/or in the Jerusalem area
  • Close with graduation ceremony in Jerusalem
  
  For more details, follow me.

• What is the overall program?
  ITTA's dates are July 6th-August 4th for girls, and July 7th- August 5th for Boys. We will be hiking along the Israel Trail in the north of the country from Mt Hermon to Haifa for three weeks. The last week will be in the Negev desert and the last Shabbat will be in the south as well. ITTA will end in Jerusalem with a community service project and a graduation ceremony.

• Do I need to bring my own camping stuff?
  Derech Hateva will be supplying high-quality group gear for the Israel Trail Teen Adventure. Group gear includes, but is not limited to, tents, stoves, pots and pans. Derech Hateva or one of our partners will supply bikes, rock climbing gear and any specialized equipment for these activities.

• What should I bring?
  You will need to provide your own personal gear - hiking boots, hiking backpack, sleeping bag. We will send you more information upon acceptance detailing necessary gear to pack.

• How do I shower and take care of myself?
  We will have few opportunities to shower along the trail. However, hygeine is a major component of outdoor living, we will learn new skills of how to wash, stay clean and healthy while being on the trail. Before eating and food preparation hand washing is required as are other basic cleanliness practices such as brushing teeth. We will also have many opportunities along the trail to get wet in natural streams, springs, lakes or under ground cisterns.

• Is there anything I cannot bring on the program?
  In general, we discourage bringing valuables on the program (i.e. jewelry, MP3 players, and cell phones). While on the trail portable music players and cell phones are not permitted.

• What if there is an emergency?
  Safety is a key aspect to all Derech Hateva programs. All Derech Hateva groups follow the strict security protocols outlined by SPNI and the Ministry of Education to offer a highly secure and safe environment for all of our participants. At SPNI the Cheder Matzav (a call-center that is in contact with guides in the field and coordinates assistance in the event that there is an emergency) is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Aside from monitoring groups on the trail, they monitor environmental trends such as weather, as well as security force updates.

  All program routes through SPNI must be pre-approved for security by certified SPNI experts before being traveled. Our guides are experienced in the outdoors and first-aid trained. Definitive care facilities are located throughout the country. All guides carry portable phones and they are in touch with both the Cheder Matzav and the Derech Hateva office daily.

• Is the program Shomer Kashrut?
  Yes, Derech Hateva uses packaged dry goods under only the most well accepted 'hechshers', e.g., OU, Star-K, OK, Israeli Rabbinate (mostly Mehadrin), etc. The food is vegetarian and mostly parve, with some dairy. The madrichim (counselors) supervise the packing of the food, part of which the participants take in their packs and the remainder is sealed and delivered to destinations along the trail every 3-4 days. The cooking utensils are kosher and have been toiveled (ritually immersed). Participants will each receive a bowl and a spoon. We will be happy to accommodate participants who keep "Cholov Yisroel."

• Is the program Shomer Shabbat?
  Yes, we stop hiking early Friday afternoon to begin Shabbat preparations. Participants will learn how to erect an eiruv, prepare special foods including "wilderness Challah" and make the necessary preparations for Shabbat. The Shabbatot we will spend (in nature) will be some of the most exciting days of the program and a fantastic learning opportunity. Shabbat observance is a mandatory part of the program.

• Will there be daily prayer and learning?
  Yes, praying in nature in Israel is a highlight of the program. We sing a lot and will have the opportunity to both share and learn new tunes from the other participants. Participants will be encouraged to pray 3 times a day for boys, and twice for girls. During our daily learning sessions, there will be opportunities to connect to a variety of Torah and other kinds of texts that directly relate to the participant and their experience on the trail. The curriculum integrates games, activities and discussion with the text learning. Everyone is required to participate in all Tfilot (prayers) and Shiyurim (learning).

• Why are the ITTA groups separated into all-male and all-female groups?
  ITTA groups are intentionally separated by gender because of the positive benefits that all-male or all-female communities can foster. A vital goal of ITTA is to create a fun, safe, and challenging environment for teens to develop their strength, skills, and values. Separate male and female groups encourage character-building and exploration in a supportive and nurturing environment, so that individuals may fully explore their potential. In addition, encouraging participants to develop a sense of sisterhood or brotherhood strengthens their commitment to one another. In ITTA, this sense of community will be developed through experiencing challenges and adventures together, and exploring relationships with Judaism, the Land of Israel, and each other.

• How do I apply? What are the costs?
  Follow the instructions to download and complete the application forms from the Derech Hateva website. For this you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Word. The application/registration process is different depending on if you are coming from outside of Israel OR if you are an Israeli Citizen living in Israel- so please follow the appropriate links for more information and to apply/register.

  Please follow the links below for more information and to download the forms (Coming soon for summer 2009):
  

  Participants from Outside Israel

  Israeli Citizens Living in Israel

• Are there scholarships available?
  Please contact Derech Hateva for possible scholarships.