Cycling the Covenant

This morning, I participated in the Sovev Yerushalyim Second Annual Bike Race. More than 1500 people showed up from around the country to participate in either the 40km or 20km ride, a beautiful trip around the hills and parks of Jerusalem. We rode on streets and roads, paved bike paths and rocky 4x4 trails. Except for about 100m, I was always riding with other people, other Israelis, who were either busy discussing plans or the difficulty, or intensely concentrating on the path in front of them. About halfway through the ride, we came to a sharp turn, where a logistics man was standing with a sign, directing us where to go. Instead of him cheering us on, we were the ones cheering for his efforts and thanking him for his contribution. I commented to the woman riding next to me that that isn't likely to happen in America. She said it's because in Israel, we're all family and cannot stay out of other people's business.

Two kilometers down the road, I saw this almost prophecy come to fruition. A man had been riding in front of me and I started following him closely, because his technical skills for certain parts were strong. After a bit of that, we began talking and he started to ask me about myself. Before I knew it, we had finished the hardest uphill part for the ride. I was shocked. This man, a complete stranger, made my ride easier, helped pass the time, and gave me some food to tide me over for the rest of the ride. More importantly, he shared my conviction that Israel is a land where you can really connect to nature, where people care about nature, where you can interact with nature not fifteen minutes from your front door, almost everywhere in this country! He demonstrated the principle כל ישראל ערבים זה לזהץ, all of Israel is responsible for one another.

His kindness and awareness of Israel reminded me of this week's Torah portion. Behukotai (tilchu), walk in my ordinances, is the last parsha in Vayikra, verses 26:3-27:34. God commands Moses to tell the people about what shall happen if they do keep God's commandments, immediately followed by what happens if they disregard the commandments. The positives are a successive inflation of good things, from the basic needs of food, to safety, to peace, to fruitfulness (having many descendants), to the high point, a spiritual connection with God, as God will dwell among the people (26:4-13). These blessings seem simple enough, especially as they follow Maslow's hierarchy of needs (God may have preempted Maslow by a few years).

Next comes the curses, what will happen to the Jewish people if they choose not to follow God's ordinances. The successive verses (more than double the space it takes to spell out the blessings) vividly dictate the problems that will befall the Jewish people if they err and fall away from God's ways. This description gets increasingly more graphic, the apex in Vayikra 26:29 with parallel imagery to Eicha, with humans consuming their own flesh and blood. Yet the punishment does not stop there. The punishment ends with the Jewish people being scattered among the people's of the earth (26:33), constantly having other people's fighting them. And the land will lay fallow (26:34-35). However, the very end of the parek, the chapter, has God decidedly saying that God will not forget the Jewish people, or the covenant God made with us.

Indeed, today I bore witness to that covenant in action. There I was, an American who is part of this scattered people, in the land. I spent my morning accompanied by a mass of individuals dedicated to this land, to this people. They come from all different ideologies and personal ways of living, yet all of them came out this morning to revel in nature (as well as work on their physical fitness). The man who rode alongside me spoke about the slope we must travel in order to become physically fit. We cannot simply go out and run a marathon. Rather, we must train and work towards that final goal, beginning with short distances and eventually working our way up to the full 40km run.

Such is the message God wanted to give us: we will never receive all of God's bounty in one go. Rather, we must demonstrate that we deserve it. We must work our way up to the final stage, the spiritual connection with God. If along the way we slip, there is a potential for negative consequences (but as any two-year-old learns, these too pass). Even in those hard times, even when we have failed to keep God's ordinances, God will remember us. This morning, I saw how God has remembered us, after so many years of exile from this country. We Jews have finally returned home. I have come home. And I will do my best to guard this land and help fulfill God's covenant, in whatever way I can.

Shabbat Shalom!

Riding 4 Reform

Dear Friends,

Hopping back on my bike for the first long ride in over two months is daunting. I knew I might fall, struggle, or even be forced to walk my bike up a more steep incline. But I also knew that I would finish the ride, not giving up or wavering in my determination.

I rode 49 kilometers today (about 30 miles) and can already feel it in my body, just two hours later. Yet I am proud of that accomplishment and the knowledge that I will be ready for the Ride 4 Reform in just a few short months.

The ride will take place March 23-27 and is a 5 day, 50km a day challenge. Having participated in it last year, I know that it is a wonderful combination of my two favorite things: riding and Judaism. The ride is done in conjunction with the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism (the IMPJ), with which I have come in close contact this past year. After searching for five months for a place to pray and feel at home Jewishly, I finally found a place that works for me. Unbeknownst to me, it would not exist without the financial support of the IMPJ. To learn more about the IMPJ and Progressive Judaism in Israel, see: http://www.reform.org.il/Eng/About/WhoAreWe.asp

You may be asking: so where do I come in? The answer is this: you can help me in supporting the community to which I now belong. I would not feel at home without the help of the IMPJ, and the ride directly supports them.

Therefore, I ask for your help. Each rider needs to raise at least $2,500 in order to participate in the ride. Please consider donating, even as little as $5, or as much as $500! Every little bit is a step closer to my goal! The following link will take you to easy to use instructions on how to donate: http://riding4reform.org/Eng/2014/Pages/PaymentInstructions.asp#CreditCardDonations

Thank you for your support,

Elana

Riding 4 Reform

Although I would not normally do this, and my blog is for commentary on my adventures here in Israel, this opportunity is part of my growth while I am here in Israel. Below you will find a letter explaining my project with a group called Riding 4 Reform and within it, my request for support. Please consider helping me raise the money to participate in this 5 day cycling trip in order to raise money and awareness for the Jewish Progressive Movement in Israel.

Thank you for your support, in advance.

Dear family and friends,

What do you do when you flip over your handlebars on your bike, on the middle of a dirt path, with no one but your riding partners within miles? You brush the dust off, have a good laugh/cry, and then get right back on the bike and finish off the ride. Well, at least that was what I did on December 19.

Throughout my time cycling, I have learned the hard way the importance of bike safety; of wearing a helmet, having a buddy, telling people where you are going, keeping water on me. Having been hit by a car and now flown over my handlebars for a second time, I sometimes surprise myself that i keep getting on a bike. Regardless, I love it! Although that has helped me navigate the roads of Israel and the United States, I have only considered it my information. However, on March 10, I will set off for a five day journey across the North of Israel with about 11 of my classmates, doing something called Ride for Reform (R4R). In short, this five day bike ride is a way to raise awareness and money for the Reform movement in Israel. Seeing how the Orthodox movement is the dominant group here in Israel, the Reform movement (called the Progressive movement in Hebrew) is slowly gaining attention and acknowledgement. This year, the proceeds raised by the riders will go to the IMPJ (Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism), in order to help Progressive congregations throughout Israel, the immigrant community (due to the Reform movement's commitment to social action and social justice), and scholarships to Camp Havaya (IMPJ's summer camp). This is a unique opportunity for me to help my community here in Israel and truly give back (Check outwww.riding4reform.com for more details). 

Now, you're probably asking yourself, what's the catch? And, you'd be right to do so, because here is where you come in. I am super excited about this ride, and cannot wait to spend five days, going about 50 km/~31miles each day on a bike! However, the price of participation is $2,000, plus $100 because I need to rent a bike for the week. The ability to participate in this adventure is one in a lifetime, especially while I am here in Israel, in my first year in school, and I would love your support! Being able to give back to a place that has shown me an immense amount of love and taught me so much about myself and Judaism is incredible, but I need your assistance.

The next question you should likely be asking is, how? Again, way to be on the ball with these questions! Well, if you go to the R4R website Click here!, it will give you full instructions, including what to do with checks and credit cards.

Honestly, I really appreciate your support and remember that any contribution counts (even love!). I will be sure to keep you informed with both my classmates and my progress on our weekly rides. One place to check is my blog.

In conclusion, I am excited for this ride, and hope that you can support me along the journey. Please be in touch, just to check in.

Thanks and much love,

Elana