Senior Michael Hoff, who built
low-income homes in Texas,
was one of them. "I went down
to Texas and saw deprivation
and poverty. It was amazing
seeing that my sheltered little
world isn't how most people
live," Michael learned during
his AJSS summer.
In addition to the manual la-
bor ("It went surprisingly easy,"
said Michael. "Our supervisor
was very patient."), teens are
immersed in the local culture,
tour the area and meet with
community leaders. Shabbat
observance and Jewish values
discussions complement the
trip's active program of "Gerni-
lut Hesid" (Doing Good).
The third program is the
brand-new Big Sky Adventure.
It is being kicked off this sum-
mer by Capital Camps, a mem-
ber agency of the Washington,
D.C. Jewish Federation. Teens
will visit the best known of the
Canadian and American scenic
spots and also take part in out-
door sports like hiking and fish-
ing. They will be accompanied
by a "Judaic guide," according
to Judy Young, Capitol Camps'
assistant director.
Challenge Yourself
Other teenlrips, while no f of-
fering a specific Jewish orien-
tation, do have a large Jewish
participation. In this category
are two trips whose goal is to
physically challenge partici-
pants.
Man and His Land Expedi-
tions, located in Wisconsin and
our local Tamarack Camps of-
fer wilderness trips emphasiz-
ing camper participation, group
living and back-country adven-
ture throughout the American
West.
The trips explore national
parks and push campers safely
to their physical limits with
rugged adventure activities that
include white water rafting,
mountain climbing, backpack-
ing, hiking and kayaking.
"It was good to get away from
the city and see the mountains
and get close to nature," said
Randy Berg, an 11th grader at
West Bloomfield High School in
Michigan. Berg spent his last
two summers traveling with
Tamarack's Western Trip and
Alaska Adventure. "We saw a
lot of wildlife; we made all our
own food, pitched our tents. We
worked as a group; it was a
bonding experience."
West Coast Connection Cy-
ding Tour offers a different type
of challenge. Teens from around
the country rendezvous in
Boston to cycle through New
England, for instance.
West Bloomffield high School
junior Jeff Bagdade and four of
his best friends cycled through
A Tripper's List
ELLYCE FIELD SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
F
finding the right trip to match your
teen's interests, abilities and sense
of adventure takes time. Use this
list as a starting point. Call for cata-
logs and find out when trip representa-
tives will be in your area (prices quoted
are for 1994). With careful planning, this
could be the best summer of your teen's
life.
American Jewish Society for Service
Suite 700-26 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10004
(212) 683-6178
Age: Must have finished 10th
grade and be at least 16
Length: 6 weeks
Accommodations: Vary with lo-
cation — dorms, fraternity hous-
es, churches, day schools
Itinerary: Three projects offered
in different parts of the country
Jewish content: Shabbat obser-
vance, Jewish values discus-
sions
Best feature: Hands-on applica-
tion of "Tikkun Olam" (Repair-
ing the World)
Price tag: $1,500 plus airfare to
trip origin
kosher
Best feature: Outdoor sports and sight-
seeing
Price tag: $2,700 plus airfare to trip origin
Man and His Land Expeditions
2020 Parkwood Court
Grafton, Wis. 53024
(414) 377-6037; (800) 533-3066
Age: 14-18
Length: 4 trips, 3 1/2-7 1/2 weeks
Accommodations: National park wilder-
ness camping
Itinerary: American West
Jewish content: None
Best feature: Environmental awareness
and unusual outback adventures, includ-
American Trails West
92 Middle Neck Road
Students hike and enjoy the stupendous scenery of the West
Great Neck., N.Y. 11021
ing a llama trek
(616) 487-2800; Outside New York State,
Price tag: $2,600-$4,700 plus airfare to
(800) 645-6260
trip origin
Age: Grades 11-12
Length: 16 American trips, 21-42 days
Musiker Tours
Accommodations: Camping/dorm/hotel
1326 Old Northern Boulevard
Itinerary: New England, Atlantic Coast,
Roslyn, N.Y. 11676
the South, Florida, cross country, South-
(616) 621-0718; Outside New York State,
west, California, Canadian Rockies, Alas-
(800) 645-6611
ka
Age: Grades 9-12
Jewish content: None
Length: 6 different tours, 2142 days
Best feature: Top-of-the-line accommoda-
Accommodations: Camping/dorm/hotel
tions, hip restaurant choices; teen-orient-
Itinerary: West Coast, East Coast, coast
ed nightlife
to coast, Pacific Northwest, British Co-
Price tag: $2,695-$5,295 plus airfare to
lumbia
trip origin
Jewish content: None
Best feature: Camping comfort includes a
Big Sky Adventure
chow wagon, food managers and all-you-
6001 Montrose Road
can-eat gourmet meals
Rockville, Md. 20852
Price tag: $2,799-$4,699 plus airfare to
(301) 468-2267; (800) 783-1245
trip origin
Age: Grades 10-12
Length: July 27-August 14
Rein Teen Tours
Accommodations: Cabins, chalets
30 Galesi Drive
Itinerary: Canadian Rockies, Many Glaci- Wayne, N.J. 07470
er Montana, Yellowstone National Park,
(800) 831-1313
Grand Tetons
Age: 13-18
Jewish content: Shabbat observance,
Length: 7 different trips, 1 month-6
New England last summer on
a West Coast Connection Cy-
cling Tour.
Jeff and his buddies flew to
Boston and met the rest of the
tour. "One of the highlights was
meeting the kids from Montre-
al and the East Coast," he said.
"I wasn't a true cyclist before.
The trip was challenging, but
not hard."
The trip's accommodations
include KOA campgrounds,
dorms and hotels. Kids cycle ap-
proximately 25 to 30 miles per
day, and tour both city and
country sites.
West Coast Connection also
has a variety of hotel/dorm/gen-
teel camping trips that offer
both city sites, nightlife, and
hiking and rafting adventures.
Razzk Dazzle
Four teen trips — American
Trails West, Musiker Tours,
weeks
Accommodations: Camping/dorm/hotel
Itinerary: East Coast, West Coast, Cali-
fornia, Canada, Pacific Northwest, South-
west
Jewish content: None
Best feature: Stay in well-known univer-
sity dorms — University of Michigan,
UCLA, Duke, Georgetown
Price tag: $2,795-$4,995 plus airfare to
trip origin
Tamarack Camps
6600 West Maple Road
West Bloomfield, Mich. 48322
(810) 661-0600
Age: Grades 10-12
Length: 34 days (Western), 46
days (Alaska)
Accommodations: National and
state park camping
Itinerary: American West, Alaska,
Canadian Rockies
Jewish content: Shabbat obser-
vance, national park service pro-
ject
Best feature: Outback land and
water adventures
Price tag: $2,275 (West), $3,395
(Alaska)
USY On Wheels
Department of Youth Activities
United Synagogue of Conserva-
tive Judaism
155 Fifth Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10160-0306
(212) 533-7800
Age: 14-17
Length: 6 weeks
Accommodations: Hotels, national park
lodges, homes of local congregants
Itinerary: Coast to coast
Jewish content: Kosher food, daily daven-
ing, Shabbat observance, local USY par-
ticipation
Best feature: Scholarships available
through local congregations or affiliated
groups
Price tag: $3,495 plus airfare to trip origin
Weissman Teen Tours
517 Almena Avenue
Ardsley, N.Y. 10502
(914) 693-7575; Outside New York State,
(800) 942-8005
Age: 13-18
Length: 1 40-day long trip
Accommodations: Hotels, resorts, nation-
al park lodges
Itinerary: American West, Western Cana-
da
Jewish content: None
Best feature: Like traveling with family;
owner Eugene Weissman leads the trip
every summer
Rein Teen Tours and Weissman
Teen Tours — while located in
the greater New York City area,
draw Jewish kids from the East
Coast, Midwest, Florida, Eu-
rope, Israel and South Ameri-
ca.
The four offer a variety of
trips out west or coast-to-coast
emphasizing luxurious comfort,
dazzle-a-minute activities,
sparkling nightlife, top-of-the-
line hotels/resorts/dorms/camp-
sites, and three meals a day.
Kids fly to the trip's point of
origin, board a private char-
tered bus and are taken on a
whirlwind, supervised tour of
American city sites and national
parks, sprinkled with outdoor
adventures such as rafting, hik-
ing, waterskiing, parasailing
and kayaking.
Safety and keeping in touch
are the hallmarks of these out-
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