CTeen X-Treme Welcome Teens from Europe

The only complaint the European teens had about the first CTeen Shabbaton in Berlin was that the fun and meaningful weekend was too short; couldn’t they extend the CTeen experience for longer?

When Michael Levin from Nuerenberg, Germany heard about CTeen’s first ever traveling summer plan scheduled just over a month after the Berlin shabbaton, he made up his mind that he’d be on the CTeen X-Treme camp bus rather than watch the fun unfold on facebook.

Just 500 miles down Colorado and five days into the camp, Michael, and his forty new friends from across United States and Canada have already seen and experienced the wonders of our creator while absorbing the Chayusdik, Yiddishe atmosphere of CTeen X-Treme .

“CTeen has been so awesome; it’s definitely worth it to fly from the other side of the planet,” Levin said after a day of davening, learning the Torah’s sources for Tefilin, then heading to a zip lining course and hiking. “It’s the best Jewish action experience you could ever imagine!”

Hailing from Houston Texas, Alec Patton describes how the camp has brought him closer to his “Jewishness”. “With my Tzitzis hanging,my yarmulka showing proud and putting on Teffilin every morning, this has been the best experience ever! Can’t wait to see what the awesome staff have in store for us!”

Rabbi Moshe Rapoport, the camp’s Shliach on site is amazed by the teens’ chayus for Yiddishkeit. ”It is incredible to see the excitement and energy of the boys, not only for the extreme activities,” says the Wisconsinite Rabbi who brought four of his own teens to the camp, “but also for the jewish experiences like putting on Tefillin or wearing a Kippa or Tzitzis in public with real jewish pride!”

Echoing his words, Archie Weindruch from Bettendorf, Iowa testifies, ”CTeen X-Treme is the perfect mix of Judaism and adventure, I am emphatically loving it!!!

A Farbrengen filled Shabbos was celebrated at the new Chabad House in Chandler, Arizona. The teens were amazed by the Hachnosas Orchim of Shluchim Rabbi & Mrs Mendy Deitsch, for hosting the teens even prior to hosting a Chanukas Habayis for their community.

“It’s amazing to see this dream come true,” says the vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch and chairman of CTeen, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky. “Thank you Rabbi Zalman Notik and and all the CTeen shluchim for making it happen. Notik who directs the CTeen X-Treme Camp Commented “We hope that this can serve as a beginning for many other summer opportunities for teens.”

Photos by Bentzi Sasson