Create an Exciting Family Adventure with a Jewish Ski Trip

Nothing beats a winter break and a chance to escape to the fresh air and beautiful scenery of a luxury mountain resort. A Jewish ski trip is a wonderful adventure, a character building experience for kids, and a chance for the whole family to bond!

Winter brings its own pleasures. We all love cozy evenings by the fire, fun family celebrations, big Shabbat dinners and good movies and books. The other side of winter is that if you’re living in the city or the suburbs, it can also get claustrophobic. Even if you don’t suffer from the winter blues, everybody gets restless and starts longing for a change. If you have a house full of energetic kids, you’ll definitely need to find some kind of outlet for them.

A winter vacation is a great solution and many Jewish families love to flee the colder climates for a trip to warmer areas, but

some families are looking for a more active and adventurous holiday and are ready to embrace the winter cold. A Jewish ski trip is a great way to make the most of the winter weather, enjoy the snow, and burn off some of those extra seasonal calories. You can revel in the beautiful mountain scenery, the thrill of tackling new slopes (or even going off piste), and then enjoy a full apres ski experience with kosher food, good company and the perfect family Shabbat!

Experience the Luxury of Edgewood Tahoe Resort

A ski trip is an adventurous vacation, but it’s also a chance to relax and enjoy the good things in life. The Edgewood Tahoe resort is set in the stunning Sierra Nevada, next to Lake Tahoe, America’s largest alpine lake. The scenery is absolutely amazing and the air is crystal clear. We’d go as far as to describe the entire region as a national treasure. The Tahoe area is beautiful all year round, but the wintry snow covered mountain peaks are spectacular.

The Edgewood Tahoe Resort is the ideal location for a Jewish family holiday. The luxury accommodation is designed for the family experience and guarantees peace, privacy and security. Your villa comes with a kosher kitchen and spacious living and dining areas. There is also a heated patio with an awesome lakeside view.

The patio is a great place to eat an early breakfast, or to sit in the evening with a glass of wine or some hot chocolate and enjoy the comfortable, tired feeling that comes after a day of fresh air and fun on the piste. The Edgewood Tahoe Resort includes the wider services and amenities that you’d expect in any luxury complex and staying there is a real pleasure.

Benefit from a Personal Ski Concierge

A ski concierge is like a personal assistant of the pistes. It makes life a lot easier when there’s a friendly face available who’s ready to take care of things like arranging private lessons with a ski instructor, or booking shuttle services to the slopes. When you stay as a guest in the Edgewood Tahoe Resort, you don’t have to waste time and energy on logistics and administration.

If you need ski or equipment rentals, suggestions about slopes or apres ski activities - or need anything at all - there’s a pro on hand to take care of it. The Lake Tahoe area was part of the Old West and has a rich pioneer history. There are also attractions like Heavenly Village,which includes a multiplex cinema (great for an evening treat) an ice rink and all kinds of bars and restaurants. Your ski concierge is a wealth of local knowledge and will be happy to help you plan a family itinerary.

A Jewish Ski Trip for Absolute Beginners

One of the questions we’re often asked is whether a family ski holiday is a realistic proposition for absolute beginners. People worry that skiing is too difficult or strenuous to learn, or that they might lack the physical fitness or aptitude. There’s no doubt that skiing is a physical activity, and you do need at least a little bit of robustness to go on the slopes. The good news is that the average person can easily cope with the basics of skiing and most other winter sports.

Everybody starts somewhere and even the top slalom (not to be confused with shalom) champions began on the nursery slopes. If you’re willing to give it a go, you’ll be able to steer and turn, control your speed, and stop gracefully within a day or two. Most people love the freedom and exhilaration of downhill skiing and quickly develop a new self-confidence.

Learning to ski together as a family is an amazing bonding exercise. It can be really important for kids to see their parents attempting a completely new activity. The chance to watch how grownups react to new challenges and acquire new skills is a special opportunity for children to develop and to copy adult learning skills.

Skiing is a fun (and actually quite safe) activity for the whole family. The chances are that once you get the ski bug, you’ll return

to the mountains every winter. If you start your kids off at an early age, you may be giving them a wonderful lifelong interest. The ability to ski gives children self-confidence, a valuable sense of outdoor independence, personal robustness and some amazing physical skills!

3 Common Questions about Jewish Ski Trips

Will we have a kosher kitchen and a proper Shabbat?

Yes! Jewish ski trips are designed to allow you to keep kosher and to observe Shabbat. Your luxury villa comes with a kosher kitchen and everything you need for a shomer Shabbat. If you have any specific questions, we’ll be happy to answer them.

Is there a risk of injury when you go skiing?

Skiing is an outdoor physical activity. As with all sports, there is an inherent risk of injury. That said, most people who go skiing don’t get injured and have an amazing time. As long as you don’t attempt slopes that are above your proficiency level, you should be fine. Talk to us about arranging insurance coverage for all the family.

Can we hire skis and other equipment?

Yes. If you don’t have your own skis, or don’t want to travel with them, you can hire top quality skiing equipment at the resort. Your ski concierge will help you to arrange rentals.

Revitalize Your Life through Skiing!

A family skiing holiday is an amazing winter break. It’s a chance to be together as a family and to experience the magical snowy beauty of the Sierra Nevada. One of the great things about skiing is that young kids burn off a lot of energy on the slopes. They'll have a wonderful time all day, and then usually go to sleep early in the evening. You’ll have some quality time together as a couple and can really savor the luxury of your Edgewood villa.

The lake Tahoe region in winter is a very special place. In many ways, it has remained unchanged since the days of the Old West. The resorts are modern and luxurious, but there’s still a closeness to nature. You’ll feel a strong connection to the natural world, especially at night when the moon rises over the lake. Skiing creates a wonderful feeling of freedom and you’ll return to the city refreshed and revitalized - and possibly quite a lot fitter than when you left!

Iris Hami is President of Gil Travel Group, the largest travel management firm sending people to Israel. She has over 40 years of experience in the travel industry, and uses that knowledge to craft unique Jewish journeys around the world.