Bet El’s Pre-IDF Preparatory Academy announces its first annual bike trek—the Israel Cadet Trek 2016 [http://israelcadettrek.com/]. The Bike Trek, open to overseas visitors, is slated for May 23 through 25.
The Pre-IDF Preparatory Academy is a private institution providing incoming soldiers from disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds with a meaningful year of intensive training prior to their three-year service in the IDF. In a positive, non-judgmental environment, each student focuses on character building and Jewish identity, and is guided toward a renewed self-esteem and belief in himself and his future. The cadets leave the academy with high motivation to contribute to the defense of the Jewish nation and continue on toward academic degrees in civilian life.
Under the academy’s supervision, the cadets’ lives take on vision, meaning and purpose, often redirecting a youth from a family tradition of welfare to becoming a self-sustaining and fruitful part of Israeli society.
Participating in the Israel Cadet Trek and sponsoring its riders strengthens the IDF from within by raising the character and morale of its incoming soldiers, and builds the very fabric of Israeli society by providing leaders and role models in the Sephardic and Ethiopian sectors.
Baruch Gordon, the academy’s director of development, explains, “That’s the whole idea behind our first annual Israel Cadet Trek. Cadets and visiting cyclists will bike together for three days, learn about the land and partake in team-building military exercises. The trek will end in daylight —moments before the Lag B’Omer holiday near Rashbi’s tomb in Meron where some 500,000 visitors will celebrate.”
More information about the fundraising bike trek can be found at http://IsraelCadetTrek.com. The academy seeks input from potential cyclists via an online survey [http://israelcadettrek.com/take-the-survey/] with no obligation to participate. Once the information is collected and tallied, registration will open with a detailed description of the trek and its activities. SAG (support and gear) support will be provided each day in the form of assistance for riders and their bikes for anyone who tires out.
When asked what sets Bet El’s pre-IDF academy apart from other institutions like it, Gordon says, “The IDF itself asked us a similar question, probing how it is that our cadets enlist into combat and commando units, while most of their peers and classmates opt for the IDF’s menial labor jobs. We embrace each student as is, without judgment or criticism. In addition to steady meals and housing, we encourage and motivate the students and develop their untapped emotional, physical and spiritual strengths. They gradually rise from what is often a state of hopelessness and apathy to a restored self-esteem; they begin applying themselves to studies and training to make the best of their service in the IDF.”
Bike enthusiasts who want to strengthen the IDF and Israeli society, check out http://IsraelCadetTrek.com.
