Rode in the first day of the Alyn bike ride yesterday, some frustration over the slow pace, but still enjoyable. I rode from Jerusalem to Masada, then back to Ein Gedi where I caught a bus back up to Jerusalem.
Here's the interesting parts to think about:
1. Israel as microclimate: We left Jerusalem in a blinding rainstorm at 8:00 am, and by 9 am we are almost at the dead sea, with sunny skies and short sleeve temperature. Incredible that an hour bike ride could be so dramatic. Talk about place shifting...
2. 500 riders from all over the world: From a ride of 9 riders 6 years ago, this year 500 people participated from probably a half dozen countries. I saw friends from high school, a guy who lives in shouting distance of my parents in Long Island, etc etc. Even with everything we have done to ruin our brand, Jerusalem and Zion continue to pull them in. The brand still has value.
3. Masada as seen from a bike: with all the times I have been to Masada, it's a different experience altogether having ridden down from Jerusalem that morning, turning a corner and seeing rising up from the desert floor...I felt an echo of what the Romans must have felt riding their chariots from Jerusalem. Masada was the last battleground of the Jewish people oh so long ago...and is still humbling. In terms of time shifting, this was the ultimate.
Technology has certainly changed our lives, but experiences such as yesterday remind me that are so many things that still seem out of our control, but our mission of tikkun olam, of repairing the world, mandates us to do what we can.
In peace,
Jacob
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