Twenty-two 11th and 12th grade students from the AMIT Bienenfeld Hevruta Yeshiva High School of Ra’anana are now two weeks into their 57-day walk “Me’Eilat Ve’ad Dan” - from the Gulf of Eilat in the south to the snow-covered mountains of the Hermon on Israel's northern tip.
This “incredible journey” is considered to be the “bagrut” (national high school matriculation exam) for the students, who are enrolled in the institution's Environmental Studies track. The tiring but rewarding on-foot journey is scheduled to wrap up just before the holiday of Shavuot, in early June, in a scintillating ceremony on Mount Hermon on the Golan Heights. Breaks are taken only for Shabbat, and two weeks for Pesach.
“Not only do the students have to trek the entire length of our country, they have to prepare the entire trip on their own, with no help from us,” said Avi Ravick, Coordinator for Touring and Environmental Activities at Hevruta.
In order to qualify to take this special "exam," the boys must first meet some significant requirements. Among other things, they serve in the Ra’anana chapter of the “Mishmar Ezrachi” (Civil Guard), a national volunteer service under the auspices of local police precincts. There they learn discipline and respect for both people and weapons, while helping secure their school’s local neighborhood. Each student must also be a Magen David Adom-certified medic, able to administer first aid in the field. They must also be certified map-readers and route-planners, capable of planning and following difficult mountainous trails and tracking through desert and forest terrain.
The hiking students are trained to follow the Education Ministry's strict safety regulations, and are in regular touch with the local Civil Guard and MDA squads wherever they walk. An emergency jeep with staff and volunteers is also never too far away to be called when needed. “The students are split into teams of four or five, and each team makes its own decisions as to how to trek," explained Ravick. “At night, all the teams meet up at a pre-set location and prepare their food together, play their guitars, compare notes, share experiences and sleep.”
Asked by Arutz-7 to describe the trail itself, Ravick laughed. “They don’t simply walk up the highway like others do,” he said. “The students really track all the way, avoiding civilization as much as possible unless otherwise instructed.” Ravick was also proud to point out that every student who set out on previous years' editions of the trail completed it. “We have had two classes graduate already, and amazingly everyone succeeded in reaching the Hermon on his own or with the help of his friends and classmates… These young men have to deal with the accumulating fatigue of 57 days on the road, disagreements, and other pressures. One of the amazing things we have seen is that even when someone gets hurt, his teammates pull him through and make sure he is able to continue until his injury gets better and he is able to again carry his own weight."
Along the route of the demanding journey, the students stop near various towns and meet up with local students and residents. They share their experiences with the visitors, and exhibit some of the techniques they have mastered along the way. Some residents join the young men for a short portion of that day’s journey.
“This is a true matriculation exam in every sense of the word,” Ravick said, "a true test of character. The result is that all of the graduates ultimately go on to serve our country in the most elite of military units and are already trained in every aspect of teamwork and leadership. They all know this country from top to bottom... Many of our students from low socio-economic backgrounds and with extremely low self-esteem, suddenly bloom and quickly become team leaders.”
During the northward march, they young men have a chance to test their accumulated knowledge of Israel's geography, topography, flora and fauna. They visit places of historical significance they have studied, and shore up their already highly-developed appreciation for the Land of Israel and its natural treasures.
“The entire experience serves to intensify their relationships to their fellow students, Zionism, the People of Israel, the Land of Israel and the holy Torah,” sums up Ravick.
This “incredible journey” is considered to be the “bagrut” (national high school matriculation exam) for the students, who are enrolled in the institution's Environmental Studies track. The tiring but rewarding on-foot journey is scheduled to wrap up just before the holiday of Shavuot, in early June, in a scintillating ceremony on Mount Hermon on the Golan Heights. Breaks are taken only for Shabbat, and two weeks for Pesach.
“Not only do the students have to trek the entire length of our country, they have to prepare the entire trip on their own, with no help from us,” said Avi Ravick, Coordinator for Touring and Environmental Activities at Hevruta.
In order to qualify to take this special "exam," the boys must first meet some significant requirements. Among other things, they serve in the Ra’anana chapter of the “Mishmar Ezrachi” (Civil Guard), a national volunteer service under the auspices of local police precincts. There they learn discipline and respect for both people and weapons, while helping secure their school’s local neighborhood. Each student must also be a Magen David Adom-certified medic, able to administer first aid in the field. They must also be certified map-readers and route-planners, capable of planning and following difficult mountainous trails and tracking through desert and forest terrain.
The hiking students are trained to follow the Education Ministry's strict safety regulations, and are in regular touch with the local Civil Guard and MDA squads wherever they walk. An emergency jeep with staff and volunteers is also never too far away to be called when needed. “The students are split into teams of four or five, and each team makes its own decisions as to how to trek," explained Ravick. “At night, all the teams meet up at a pre-set location and prepare their food together, play their guitars, compare notes, share experiences and sleep.”
Asked by Arutz-7 to describe the trail itself, Ravick laughed. “They don’t simply walk up the highway like others do,” he said. “The students really track all the way, avoiding civilization as much as possible unless otherwise instructed.” Ravick was also proud to point out that every student who set out on previous years' editions of the trail completed it. “We have had two classes graduate already, and amazingly everyone succeeded in reaching the Hermon on his own or with the help of his friends and classmates… These young men have to deal with the accumulating fatigue of 57 days on the road, disagreements, and other pressures. One of the amazing things we have seen is that even when someone gets hurt, his teammates pull him through and make sure he is able to continue until his injury gets better and he is able to again carry his own weight."
Along the route of the demanding journey, the students stop near various towns and meet up with local students and residents. They share their experiences with the visitors, and exhibit some of the techniques they have mastered along the way. Some residents join the young men for a short portion of that day’s journey.
“This is a true matriculation exam in every sense of the word,” Ravick said, "a true test of character. The result is that all of the graduates ultimately go on to serve our country in the most elite of military units and are already trained in every aspect of teamwork and leadership. They all know this country from top to bottom... Many of our students from low socio-economic backgrounds and with extremely low self-esteem, suddenly bloom and quickly become team leaders.”
During the northward march, they young men have a chance to test their accumulated knowledge of Israel's geography, topography, flora and fauna. They visit places of historical significance they have studied, and shore up their already highly-developed appreciation for the Land of Israel and its natural treasures.
“The entire experience serves to intensify their relationships to their fellow students, Zionism, the People of Israel, the Land of Israel and the holy Torah,” sums up Ravick.