| Pedaling New York |
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| Written by Jennie Margalit Morgan | |||||
| Tuesday, 26 April 2005 | |||||
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One Sunday this past August, 23-year-old Jeremy Manela realized he could do anything. “I rode a hundred miles and my ass hurt like crazy,” he said. “But knowing I could do it was unbelievable.” Manela was one of over 220 participants in the New York Jewish Bike Ride. The event, which has taken place every year since 2000, is organized by a Jewish environmental organization called Hazon, the Hebrew word for vision. “We believe that Jewish group outdoor experiences and Jewish environmentalism deepen the Jewish commitment and pluralism of those who are already Jewishly involved, and serve as an attractive and accessible gateway to Jewish involvement for those who are not currently Jewishly involved,” explains Hazon’s mission statement. The group has sponsored cross-country Jewish bikes rides, their annual New York ride, a Martha’s Vinyard ride, and their ride through Israel, from Jerusalem to Eilat. On Labor Day weekend, September 2005, Hazon will host a Shabbat retreat culminating in its 5th annual New York bike ride fundraiser. As in previous years, the event will raise money for Jewish environmental education in Israel and America, while promoting an environmentally sound mode of transportation. Participants in the ride typically span three generations. Many riders ride as family groups, or as representatives of a synagogue or school. Riders in their early twenties constitute a unique denomination. They are looking for community, but are not yet ready to settle down. They want to be spiritual, but are concerned with contemporary issues. Although they represent the near future of the Jewish community, right now they do not ride as part of a family or a synagogue group. Manela first became involved with Jewish environmentalism during his freshman year of college, when he went to a Hillel conference and on a whim decided to sign up for the environmentalism track. Manela had come from a Conservative, non-observant Jewish background and had loved camping and the outdoors, but had never considered himself an active environmentalist. “I was inspired, and I thought other college students would also be inspired by this eco-spiritual Judaism,” said Manela, who now works as an educator for Teva, another Jewish environmentalist group. “As for the bike ride, some secular bike rider can hang out for the weekend with some Jewish tree-hugger. These are people who share values.” Alexandra Kuperman, who is also 22, moved to New York in July, a month before the ride. “I thought it would be a good way to meet some people,” she said. “I’m not at a point in my life where I would want to join a synagogue or a JCC, so for me, this is a good outlet.” Kuperman also believes that what draws young people to the ride is its ability to combine tradition with modernity. “My Jewish identity has been formed largely by living in places where there weren’t many Jews,” said Kuperman, who spent much of her childhood living in a small town outside Toronto. “I guess if I had to put myself in a Jewish box, it would be Reform. That’s my connection. People are always looking for new entry points to connect, and for some, Hazon can be that,” she said. “Going on the ride was like being part of a quasi-family,” Kuperman continued. “It showed that the real message in Judaism is that it isn’t just something you do on a Friday night, or a few times a year. It’s a lifestyle. And Beyond that, it’s a way for people who don’t feel connected to Judaism to find something they do care about to connect to. Environmentalism is something that all young people are very aware of. We grew up hearing about it on TV.” Daniel Kestin, 24, has been volunteering for Hazon since 2001, and currently works for IBM. Like Manela, he described his upbringing as “liberally-observant Conservative.” As a college student, Kestin’s roommate asked him to help upkeep Hazon’s website, and he has been involved with the organization ever since. “To me, doing the Hazon bike ride is the ultimate representation of Jews embodying contemporary issues,” he said. As for finding a community, Kestin said, “I have a connection to a segment of the Jewish community that doesn’t really care about the letter of the law. It doesn’t matter how kosher my tsitsis are. What matters are modern issues I can relate to, like not driving an SUV because it’s bad for the earth.” Another rider, Anna Stevenson, added that for some, the ride can fall into a category of “hip and edgy things to do. You could go to a folk festival, or take a road trip, or go on a Jewish environmental bike ride. It’s fringy. It’s another thing you can tell people you did.” 22-year-old Stevenson now works full-time for Hazon and is a regular participant in the bike ride. According to Manela, the point that links Judaism and environmentalism is simply the act of bringing people together. “Judaism and ecology both teach the lesson of community, that we need each other,” he said.
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