Strap on your helmets, fill up the water bottles, and get in gear–the third annual Sukkah Bike Hop is happening again on Sunday, September 22!

The ride will begin and end in Boulder, at Congregation Bonai Shalom, and there will be a long (60 mile) route, as well as a shorter (20 mile) route. The Sukkah Bike Hop is hosted by Hazon and Chabad of NW Metro Denver and all are warmly invited.

Throughout the ride, for both routes, participants will stop at community sukkahs in which riders can reflect on the holiday, eat delicious, freshly-prepared, kosher foods and enjoy the company of their fellow riders, putting them in touch with not only the outdoors but their community as well.

Explaining why the ride was meaningful to him, Bruce Shaffer shared,

It’s really fun, there’s a lot of laughing, the route is nice and manageable, and doing it all in community makes it personal and introspective–praying as one together with others, working together, pulling each other along.”

The Sukkah Bike Hop gets at the root of the holiday, says Shaffer. In biblical times Sukkot was a pilgrimage holiday. “The sukkah ride is very much a pilgrimage, updated.” By being able to visit sukkahs and eat delicious local food, it made Bruce gain a newfound appreciation for local food and those who grow it. “This deepened my appreciation for where this food is coming from and how and who is in fact getting it to me. There are a lot of links between the earth and my table,” he explained.

Chabad of NW Metro Denver and Hazon are thrilled to again offer this event, helping make our community healthier and more sustainable, while celebrating Jewish life, holidays, and our community.

To register for the ride and for more information, simply visit www.sukkahbikehop.org.

Registration is now open and the prices ranges from $10 to $30 depending on the route and age of the rider. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged! See pictures from last year’s ride here.

Written by Becky Cohen, Hazon’s wonderful summer bike rides intern. Becky is a junior at the University of Oregon where she is studying french and journalism. She is an active participant in Oregon Hillel, where she attends workshops, participates in community service events, and helps make challah for Shabbat. She is a sister and public relations chair of the only local Jewish sorority at her university, Sigma Mu Omega, where she helps the organization participate in greater Fraternity and Sorority Life events. Becky is excited to be working with Hazon in Colorado where she can combine her loves of food, Judaism, and the outdoors.