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Tour La'Agam

TOUR LA'AGAM
Wheels Around Lake Michigan

Entering Grades 10 and older
(Preference is given to entering 11th and 12th graders)
4 Weeks
July 14 - August 9

Tour La’Agam (Tour to the Lake) is a spectacular bicycle trip around Lake Michigan. You will bike nearly 800 miles as you travel Tourthrough the upper loop of Wisconsin and Michigan, exploring the byways, forests, dunes, and the simple enormity and beauty of the lake. Services are part of each day and Jewish learning directed toward a better understanding of ecology and the land will round out your experience. Of course Shabbat, the highlight of the week, will be a well-deserved day of rest and community. This remarkable ride will be a celebration of the power of the lake and its vitality as well as an exploration of your physical, emotional, and spiritual self.

Tour La’Agam is a traveling community that builds itself a little more each day. Your first week will be spent in camp, training and preparing for the trip, as well as visiting the Trek bicycle factory in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Then you will set off northeast, meeting the lake near Sheboygan. From there you will make your way north to legendary Door County, ferry over to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, cross the Straits of Mackinac, pass through the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and head down to the ferry boat from Muskegon back to Wisconsin. Once arriving there you will feel the thrill of the last bike leg of the trip as you pedal right back into Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, with the camp community celebrating your return!

Tour La’Agam will be led by Amir Rockman, experienced bicycle tour guide (and former Israeli Navy captain!) along with other specially trained staff. Each night will be spent camping out in tents at campgrounds along the way. A van for support and gear will accompany the group. Bicycles will be provided by OSRUI, as will tents and cooking gear. Personal gear will be the responsibility of each participant. A separate gear list is provided below.

Participants in this program must be prepared to ride 50-60 miles each day, and thus must be in very good physical condition with no medical limitations of back, leg or ankle. There is a Supplementary Health Form which will be mailed with your confirmation letter and must be returned by January 15, 2009.

Applicants must also submit a recommendation from your rabbi and high school counselor. Fill out the top portion of these forms and then give them to your rabbi/counselor. The forms can be faxed to our office, or you may want to include a stamped envelope addressed to OSRUI's Northbrook office.  Print these forms out below:

Tour La'Agam Counselor's Recommendation Form
Tour La'Agam Rabbi's Recommendation Form
Tour La'Agam Supplementary Health Form 

Tour La'Agam Packing List

 

"On Tour I was able to learn a lot about the group of friends I was with and also a lot about myself. The staff was fantastic and seemed as if they were having as much fun as we were. When we got back to camp I had a such a feeling of accomplishment!  The biking was hard and the days were long but every day seemed to be more fun than the previous one. I hope in the future more kids will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Sam Sterling
Tour La'Agam 2008

Copyright © 2009 Union for Reform Judaism