A trip to Eilat or a week abroad with friends has become a rite of passage for many Israeli teens; Parents and experts explain how they balanced anxiety with trust, prepared for emergencies and helped their children gain independence safelyNirit Zuk|Summer vacation has always been a time when teenagers test boundaries and discover what is permitted and what is not. In recent years, however, that process has increasingly required a passport. Until a few years ago, the farthest many Israeli teenagers dreamed of traveling without their parents was the Arad Festival or an overnight music event near the Sea of Galilee. Today, many expect at least a week in Eilat with friends, while the more ambitious are already planning trips abroad.GalleryFlying abroad can be just as safe as staying in Israel(Photo: Shutterstock/Ground Picture)Parents’ attempts to argue that this may not be the right time, either because of the possibility of war, extreme heat or long airport lines, often fall on deaf ears. Teenagers want to celebrate and enjoy themselves. They insist they are mature and responsible, and, of course, that “everyone is going.”There are many familiar reasons to say no and keep them close, from Israel’s unstable security situation in recent years to troubling reports about groups of young Israelis behaving badly on vacation. Yet parents also understand that, at some point, children must be allowed to "leave the nest", at least temporarily.Haya Finkel is a mother of three, ages 30, 28 and 16, and a grandmother of three. She is also a teacher, personal coach and owner of a learning and empowerment center for children and teenagers. Her experience began when her youngest daughter, Maya, announced that she and her boyfriend wanted to fly to Burgas for a weeklong vacation with friends.“I had concerns, like any mother,” Finkel said. “I worried about antisemitism abroad, another war breaking out in Israel and the possibility of the airport closing. But I chose not to let fear dictate my decision. Alongside those worries, I trusted the daughter I had raised and the values we had instilled in her over the years.“As an Israeli mother, I also understood that, in the reality we live in, traveling abroad can sometimes feel no less safe, and perhaps even safer, than staying in Israel. The trip was also planned shortly before her boyfriend’s military enlistment, and I did not want to take that experience away from them. I do not believe people should give up their dreams because of fear.”How did you cope with that fear?