When have you last told your fear to sit in the backseat and let your courage lead the way? Have you recently pushed yourself to the max, and then pushed some more? How about asking your teen to do the same?

For many of us, we manage to get by without leaving our comfort zone. We can make things work sufficiently just by cruising along at status quo. This is true for our kids as well. Certainly, we are all working hard, but we often neglect to shake up our routine and step onto the wild side. It is on the wild side where our core abilities can be found and maximized.

Let me introduce you to adventure. Adventure lives on the wild side and it is adventure that we want to engage and fully enlist when we are there. It is adventure that will bring us face-to-face with the fears and discomforts that usually hinder our progress, or worse, bring us to a total standstill. Yet, at the very same time that it is challenging us, adventure sets the backdrop for the power and determination to move forward. The magic behind this is simple: adventuring is fun! It is pure enjoyment, energy, beauty and excitement without all of the accouterments that we often add to the mix while searching for those moments of joy and success.

This is the mindset of all those individuals who seem to be perpetually drawn to nature-based adventure sports. There is something majestical, empowering and strangely comforting about being out there and fiercely facing the challenges. The powerful, motivated and energized you is unleashed in those moments of outdoor travel and challenge. Those moments become habits of success that are then applied to the other challenges we face. These are the habits we want to see internalized in our children.

Now there is a scary reality looming in front of us. The current situation in Israel and the world is nearing unbearable. This is poignantly true for us, as parents, and as committed Jews. In these unpredictable times, our children are being faced with challenges that we never anticipated. Where are they getting the tools to combat this reality? Our teens will soon be heading off to the real world, intrepidly leaving the comfort and safety they have been blessed with in their years at home. Are they ready to hit the ground running? We must start from the inside and build strong, courageous and confident youth.

Adventure Israel is at the forefront of adventure travel and is now infusing its amazing program with a heavy dose of IDF-style training. Adventure Israel has taken the aforementioned concepts and built upon it to create, hands-down, the most intense adventure program available to Jewish teens today. We are truly excited to announce our 2016 USA Extreme Road Trip. This summer adventure will offer three weeks of non-stop action designed to develop the confidence, courage and motivation to become passionate ambassadors for Israel. With a heavy focus on fun, Israel hasbara and personal growth, we will build off of over 20 years of experience and showcase the very best adventure sites from New York to Maine.

This is the only USA adventure program that will be running its entire itinerary with a reserve IDF commander! We will be working with a maximum of only 10 hand-picked participants. It is high time for them to unleash the beast within and blast through the mold with a totally different approach.

Our team will be led by Ariel Fishman, founder of Adventure Israel, together with Natan Rannels, who recently completed his IDF service as a commander for the Givati sniper unit, and served in Gaza during the past war.**

This non-coed program will be strictly Shomer Shabbat and kashrut. Ages 16-19 only.

Some of the highlights include rock climbing, rappelling, multi-day paddling, intense survival training, IDF-style Krav Maga and navigation, team-building challenges, mountain biking, backpacking and much more! We will be enjoying exciting regions such as the Adirondack Park, White Mountains, the Gunks and the Knife-Edge Ridge on Baxter Peak.

For more information, please contact us at www.Adventure-Israel or [email protected].

** Natan’s availability for this year’s program is subject to the security situation in Israel at the start of the summer. In the event of any staff changes, all participants will be notified immediately. Adventure Israel has multiple post-army commanders available for this position if necessary.