Bet El’s Pre-IDF Preparatory Academy has announced its first annual bike trek: the Israel Cadet Trek 2016. The Bike Trek, open to overseas visitors, is slated for May 23-25.
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 towards a renewed belief in himself and his future. The cadets leave the academy with high motivation to make a meaningful contribution to the defense of the Jewish nation.
Under the Academy’s supervision, the cadets’ lives take on vision, meaning and purpose, and they emerge as strong individuals and dependable soldiers. Baruch Gordon, the Academy’s Director of Development, explained: “We incorporate learning with meaning, challenge and fun. 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 IsraelCadetTrek.com.
The Academy seeks input from potential cyclists via an online 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) 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 said, “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. Our secret is that we accept 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.”
