And on the day AFTER the ride...

A sea of flowers by the Mediterranean (near Nahsholim).

And on the day after the bike ride…my life went on! I have been so inspired by the ride, I immediately began to think about what to do next. During the ride, I met an amazing husband and wife. Avi & Ayala Miron. Avi has ridden every ride since its inception nine years ago. He helped coordinate efforts on this ride as he has with every ride. Ayala is the rabbi (rabbah) in Rosh HaAyin. She spoke with us one afternoon and rode with us for about 20km. She and Avi invited the riders for Shabbat. So I went. But since services were not until 5:30pm, I had the whole day to do other 'stuff'. I found an email from my friend Tamir, who lives in my neighborhood and is in the Hebrew Union College Israeli rabbinic program. He is developing a new Reform community here in Beit HaKerem. Today started the effort by the Reform and Conservative Jewish communities in Beit HaKerem to clean up the community garden. So I went to dig up a few weeds and get my hands dirty. I came home, showered, and headed off to services for kabbalat Shabbat with the community in Rosh HaAyin.

Today (Friday, March 30) was a perfect closure the ride. Why? Because I had the chance to work with fellow Progressive Jews in a physical and spiritual way to improve and sanctify space and time. In the garden, we were digging, cleaning, preparing, and planting. At services, we were praying with fervor and joy, intention and devotion. And at both, we were doing a little of both. Reform Judaism is taking root more and more here. It is growing thanks to Israelis who are working hard and Israelis who are opening their minds and hearts. Non-orthodoxy is growing because Israelis are realizing that there is more than one way to be Jewish. While there are Charedim who fight the non-Orthodox in horrible ways, I have great faith in Progressive (Renewal, Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative) Judaism growing but we in the Diaspora must work to create and maintain relationships with like-minded Jews here. Rabbi Ayala Miron shared a wonderful parallel with me tonight as we left services and drove to her home for a delicious Shabbat dinner. She explained that the relationship between Jews in the Diaspora (primarily in the US/Canada) and Israel is like Jews in Bavel (Babylonia) and Israel during the days of the Mishnah and Talmud's creation. She is spot on. Both sides influenced one another. Both sides wanted to know what the other was doing. Both sides thought the other was better, worse, inferior, superior, more learned, less learned, more modern, more traditional, more tied to the past, less tied to the past. The communities in Bavel and Israel both flourished and both suffered. Over time, as we know, Bavel grew and Israel shrank. As history went on, the Diaspora became the main home of Judaism for nearly 2,000 years. We are alive at a time when the number of Jews in Israel has just about eclipsed the number of Jews in America. Regardless of numbers, we have so much to learn from each other. We must support one another in whatever ways we can. I am so grateful to be a small part of Achva with Tamir Nir in Beit HaKerem (achvabakerem) and to have 'found' Bavat HaAyin in Rosh HaAyin with Rabbi Ayala Miron (Kehilat Bavat Ayin). Tamir and Ayala give me so much hope. The Reform Movement is in very good hands with these two and the many other leaders like them. I am honored to partner with them as a colleague and fellow seeker and builder.