Lech-Lecha Teen Adventure Camp Summer 2023
Backpacking, Rock Climbing, Canoeing
Delaware Water Gap, NJ & PA
Lech-Lecha לך-לך Adventure Camp offers fun and meaningful outdoor adventures for Jewish teens.
Close-knit groups (10-15 teens with 2-3 guides) embark on an epic journey together into the wilderness, backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, praying, learning, singing, and celebrating Shabbat. Lech-Lecha לך-לך Adventure Camp fosters social connection and personal growth through group challenges, wilderness skills, and creative activities. Our programs interweave a holistic approach to Jewish learning, love of nature, rich discussion, and joyous prayer, in a manner that supports diverse perspectives and practice.
Facilities include backcountry campgrounds in addition to group sites and cabins in outdoor recreation centers, as detailed in our itineraries below. Lech-Lecha's Shabbat and kashrut observance fully support traditional observance while genuinely respecting each participant's personal practice. We build an eiruv, cook all food and gather all water prior to Shabbat, and replace our nightly bonfire with hanging lanterns, while supporting each participant in their personal choices. Trek leaders are highly experienced and trained with at least one Wilderness First Responder or higher medical certification accompanying each trek.
We offer 8-day and 15-day sessions for two different age groups: rising 8th-9th graders, and rising 10th-11th graders.
Close-knit groups (10-15 teens with 2-3 guides) embark on an epic journey together into the wilderness, backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, praying, learning, singing, and celebrating Shabbat. Lech-Lecha לך-לך Adventure Camp fosters social connection and personal growth through group challenges, wilderness skills, and creative activities. Our programs interweave a holistic approach to Jewish learning, love of nature, rich discussion, and joyous prayer, in a manner that supports diverse perspectives and practice.
Facilities include backcountry campgrounds in addition to group sites and cabins in outdoor recreation centers, as detailed in our itineraries below. Lech-Lecha's Shabbat and kashrut observance fully support traditional observance while genuinely respecting each participant's personal practice. We build an eiruv, cook all food and gather all water prior to Shabbat, and replace our nightly bonfire with hanging lanterns, while supporting each participant in their personal choices. Trek leaders are highly experienced and trained with at least one Wilderness First Responder or higher medical certification accompanying each trek.
We offer 8-day and 15-day sessions for two different age groups: rising 8th-9th graders, and rising 10th-11th graders.
Tuition
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Lech-Lecha is committed to equity. We are grateful to our supporters for enabling our accessible pricing. Register by February 1st to receive 5% off. Additional scholarships are available. Please indicate your need in the registration form. We do our best to ensure that every camper is able to attend regardless of ability. Support the scholarship fund here. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Friends: Who's joining me? Can I come with a friend? Group of friends?
Lech-Lecha participants and staff are extremely friendly. The large majority of our campers join without knowing any participants prior and leave with new friends forever.
Hard to be alone in a new group? Bring a friend!
We are also available to facilitate programs for entire groups of 6-15 who want to come together. If this is your case, please be in touch directly.
Hard to be alone in a new group? Bring a friend!
We are also available to facilitate programs for entire groups of 6-15 who want to come together. If this is your case, please be in touch directly.
Observance: What does pluralism look like in practice?
We celebrate each individual's perspective and practice. Our programs invite discussion and participation, inspiring one another's personal journeys. Communal practice reflects our diversity, experiencing prayer and blessings through various modalities, utilizing song and movement. All adventures are kosher and shomer Shabbat, honoring individual practice and fully supporting observance of mitzvot
Food: What's it like?
No nuts! And with fewer than ten campers per session, we are happy to make accommodations necessary for other allergies and eating habits. Check out our "Day In the Life" to get a preview of our menu. I love our food! Made by counselors on site, we'll eat simple and delicious camping-style meals.
Communication Devices: Can we bring them on our adventure?
Distance makes the heart grow stronger. After months of online classes and eyes peeled to screens, we're excited to be taking a week off. Parents are asked to hold onto camper communication devices while they are on Lech~Lecha לך לך. Breaking out of the familiar surroundings of home and social networks helps us to break into a stronger relationship with those around us, with nature, and with ourselves.
Refund Policy: What if my teen has to return home?
A registered camper may decide not to join our programming this summer for non-extenuating circumstances. If this happens two months or more prior to the start of the session (i.e. before April 14th for the session beginning on June 14th), all but $90 of your downpayment will be returned. If this happens within two months of camp (i.e. April 15th), the downpayment ($360) will not be refunded but no additional cost will be incurred.
Communication with staff
Our teen programming is new this summer, and you've never met us - we completely understand and value your desire to know what is going on at camp and stay updated. You'll be able to contact us at all times with the contact info exclusive for parents that we'll share upon registration. But we'll also be actively sharing our experience at Lech Lecha ~ לך לךwith daily pictures and messages over WhatsApp (aside from Shabbat).
Safety
Every Lech-Lecha trek is guided by a trained Wilderness First Responder. All additional staff are First Aid and CPR trained. Every teen trek is accompanied by a Satellite communication device to be used in case of emergency when the group is out of cellular service. It is important to note that there is inherent risk in wilderness adventure in which participants are at times hours from the closest road resulting in slow response time from emergency crews and difficulty of evacuation. That being said, we are grateful that no Lech-Lecha participant has faced serious injury that has required evacuation or the use of our SAT device and we do our best to ensure that this remains true for the future.
Summer 2022 Memories
Testimonials
My son attended a week with Nadav last summer and loved learning about nature, about himself as Jewish teen among his peers, hiking, cooking, playing frisbee, and singing together. He gained a lot of self confidence that week and was able to reach out to kids, (Jewish and non-Jewish) when he came home more than he had on his own before. I’d recommend a trip with Nadav and his team for every outdoorsy Jewish teen to experience the joy of learning about nature, about their own strengths, and about developing social connections in a safe space, infused with spirituality and energy."
Sam was excited about spending such an amazing week just hiking and talking about the natural beauty of the area. Exploring the woods together each day, stopping to listen to the sounds, and connect to the counselors. He described having built his own shelter in the woods, learning how to bake challah and cook in the oven he helped build. The personal accomplishment he felt during this week was second only to the joy that he felt building friendships.
