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Topic: Israel

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Hakhel Seminar: Day One

By on March 24, 2015 in Hakhel Blog, Israel, Jewish Intentional Communities

by guest author Sara Zebovitz, GariNYC founder and member Tonight, we spent some time with residents of Kibbutz Yizreel, a kibbutz built in 1948 and still going strong. My personal connection to this kibbutz is strong – Yizreel was founded by Habonim Dror, the movement I am a product and part of. Kibbutz Yizreel was described today by a few people as a utopia. Here, families of all generations live side by side, working through issues together, supporting each other, creating a safe and comfortable community for all who pass through, and sharing their lives financially, emotionally, and physically. The children have a sense of independence and also feel supported. The members have the opportunity to work outside of the kibbutz in the work in which they are passionate. The kibbutz, though it has struggled in the past, is financially well-off. Money is not a stress factor for the most part in the day-to-day operations of the kibbutz, as finances are shared and equal. Decision-making power is shared, but priority is given to the younger generation – to the future. For the past 15 years, I have learned about the evolution of the kibbutz movement. I have learned about the […]

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When Israel Isn’t a Black and White Story

By on December 10, 2014 in Cycling, Israel, Israel Rider Blog

Marcy Perlman Tardio rode on the 2014 Arava Institute & Hazon Israel Ride. She is a mother, grandmother, and homebirth midwife living in Brooklyn. This piece was originally published online at Haaretz.com on December 1st, 2014. Many within my multi-cultural circle of family and friends refused to support my participation in a charity bike ride in Israel, an ‘oppressor’ and ‘colonialist’ state. The year following my kidney transplant, over a decade ago, I rode in the Hazon charity bike ride in New York. I rode then to honor my older son, who had gifted me the kidney, and to celebrate my new-found health. Through the organizers I learned of a counterpart ride that took place in Israel; several weeks ago, I returned from the Hazon-Arava bike ride, where I completed 230 miles from Jerusalem to Eilat. Despite the challenges of the heat and the terrain, my most unexpected difficulty had emerged before I even sat in the saddle: Persuading my peers to donate to a charity effort that would take place in Israel. At the time of my first ride I had joined a synagogue. My younger son already attended Jewish day school. I, the daughter of culturally Jewish, left wing, secular […]

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Celebrating in Eilat & Why you Should Join Us Next Year!

By on November 10, 2014 in Israel, Israel Rider Blog

We did it! Riding from Jerusalem to Eliat in a week’s time, this year’s Israel Ride community has an incredible journey. On our final day of riding, participants cycled into Eliat and along the coast before joining staff and crew for a beach celebration. Registration for the 2015 Israel Ride is open and I encourage anyone interested to sign-up now! The ride will run October 27th through November 3rd 2015. If you sign up now you will receive an early registration discount, a complimentary Israel Ride wind breaker and a guaranteed spot on the 2015 Israel Ride. Click here to register now! Still not convinced? Check out these rider blogs from this year to read more about the experience! http://lesterdb.blogspot.co.il/ http://reuvenmr.blogspot.co.il/ Thank you for reading! Hope to see you next year.

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Riding to the Arava Institute

By on November 9, 2014 in Israel, Israel Rider Blog

After a restful Shabbat riders returned to their bikes to complete the final two days of riding on the Israel Ride. Starting the day with an incredible sunrise and descent from Mitzpe Ramon, participants rode through the desert to Kibbutz Ketura, the home of the Arava Institute. Throughout the week riders have had the opportunity to meet Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians – Arava Institute and Hazon alumni on the Israel Ride crew who are working towards peace, environmental sustainability, and regional cooperation. These alumni have shared their stories throughout the week and today our Israel Ride community was able to visit the faculty and staff who supported them along their way.

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The Beauty of the Israel Ride

By on November 8, 2014 in Israel, Israel Rider Blog

Yesterday the Israel Ride entered the heart of the desert. Participants rode past magnificent desert vistas and ate lunch at Sde Boker, the burial place of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel. While the Shomrim hiked to a beautiful desert spring in the afternoon, the Chalutzim took a detour to the Egyptian border. All three groups were greeted at the end of the day by one of the most breath-taking sites of the trip, Mitzpe Ramon. After three days of riding, our community is enjoying a restful and rejuvenating Shabbat. Today riders have the option to participate in communal prayer, discussions, hikes and yoga. After lunch there will also be opportunities to learn more about the work of Hazon and the Arava Institute. These organizations encourage sustainability, peace and service in Israel and America. The Arava Institute exists to ensure that the world’s environmental resource challenges are a catalyst for dialogue, cooperation and trust among people. Located in Southern Israel, this specialized academic institute prepares young Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and international leaders to cooperatively address the region’s environmental needs. Hazon similarly promotes sustainability by creating healthier communities in the Jewish world and beyond. Hazon does so by […]

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Life Lessons Learned from the Shmita Year

By on October 20, 2014 in Farming, Israel, Shmita, Spirituality

by Akiva Gersh It’s fair to say that Shmita inspired me to become religious.  After learning about it and other environmentally-related laws and values of the Torah towards the end of my college years, my perception of Judaism was radically and forever changed.  The lifeless and irrelevant form of the Jewish tradition I inherited in my youth was being replaced by one that was proving to be vibrant, meaningful, and very, very relevant.  As a spiritual seeker and social activist, Judaism had what to say about many of the things I was passionate about and cared for.  Especially when it came to the Earth. Fast-forward twenty years and my home has transported across the world to the land of Israel where ancient Jewish environmental and agricultural laws have once again become part of the national consciousness of the Jewish people back in their land.  Laws that technically only apply to this very small patch of our planet’s surface are being practiced by millions, affecting the way they grow, purchase and eat food.  And now for the second time in the ten years since I’ve moved to this land, I am taking part in the unique opportunity and challenge that is […]

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