by Rabbi Marc Soloway and Bruce Shaffer

This October, Team Boulder will ‘3-peat’ the Arava Institute / Hazon ISRAEL RIDE, and the Team’s ready for more riders of all ages and abilities. Co-captains Bruce Shaffer and Rabbi Marc Soloway will bring the TB experience, energy and cycling torah; you bring the love, fun and friendship. Next month in BJN, Bruce riffs on Team Boulder bonding, bounty, beauty ‘n’ bruises. Right now, read along on Rabbi Marc’s memory ride:

Riding through the Negev desert of Israel on a bike is certainly up there as one of the highlights of my life.  The physical experience of the desert air blowing in my face while riding past site after site of ancient Jewish significance in the land where it all began.  Dayenu!

Joining together an eclectic group of Jews from all over the place, people of the bike united in the common goal of this ride.  Dayenu!

Riding out of the Holy City of Jerusalem at sunrise.  Dayenu!

Feeling so good about the beneficiaries of this sponsored ride; The Arava Institute, at the forefront of environmental studies in the Middle East and living out its core belief that the environment knows no borders and therefore bringing together a student body of Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and others to help create a more sustainable region; Hazon, the largest Jewish environmental organization in the world, changing the ways in which Jews around the world view food and the environment (including here in Boulder, with the Jewish community’s CSA project).  Dayenu!

Incredible, loving and nourishing support for the ride provided by alumni, staff and students of the Arava Institute, providing amazing meals and snacks along the way as well as spirited moral support.  Dayenu!

The final descent into Eilat and jumping into The Red Sea at the end of the ride feeling so great!  Dayenu!

The 2008 Israel Ride changed my life and that’s why I am doing it again in 2010, as co-captain of Team Boulder. Join us. You’ll remember this.”

INFORMATION SESSION  May 5, 7:00 pm, at Corner Bar * Boulderado Hotel  – 13th & Spruce, Boulder. Complete Team Boulder & Arava/Hazon Israel Ride info at www.byahadtrex.org