Forty Jewish teenagers spent two weeks this summer on a sold-out CTeen Xtreme road trip across the American West, combining outdoor adventures with religious observance. Many participants were the only Jewish students in their schools, and some had never used tefillin before the trip began.

The program, planned by Rabbi Mendy Lepkivker of the CTeen Summer team at Merkos 302 and led by Shluchim, took the group through national parks, white-water rafting, mountain biking, rappelling, horseback riding, and theme parks. Bobby Cohen, a participant from Manchester, UK, said: "I never imagined I'd be in the desert or riding on a jet ski with a rabbi."

Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302, noted that the program provided an environment where isolated Jewish teens could practice their faith openly among peers. "These are teens who are often the only Jewish kid in their school. When they finally have the space to live their Yiddishkeit openly, surrounded by peers who get it, you see something remarkable happen," He said.

Two CTeen Shluchim attended the trip with their local teens. Rabbi Zevy Geisinsky from Great Neck, New York, initially attended for one week but returned for the second week's Shabbos. He observed: "I feel I made a stronger connection with the boys in just one week than I did over the past year. The hashpa'ah was next level, with real, tangible outcomes."

Rabbi Sholom Cohen, CTeen Shliach in Manchester, England, brought Manchester boys and stayed for the full duration. Parent Hannah Salomon said: "The best part of this trip was Rabbi Cohen. He thought of everything and cared for each participant and staff member on another level."

Nearly every teen committed to continuing specific religious practices at home, with tefillin being the most common resolution, followed by tzitzis, Shabbos observance, blessings, and Torah study. Several participants received their own tefillin at the trip's conclusion. Parents reported tangible changes: children returned home observing daily tefillin, wearing tzitzis, and attending additional programs.

CTeen is running multiple summer programs globally, including separate boys and girls trips across America, Israel journeys, a Poland-Israel Heritage Quest, and programs for French teens in Vietnam. Pre-registration for next summer is open at CteenSummer.com.