Dare to Dream
This will be my 9th ride, and I'm fired up.
Captain: RandDreamer | Goal: $15,000 | Raised: $627
The heart of the program that moves me is the Peace building aspect. As you might imagine when young people come together to live and study from various countries around the region, there is a large 'elephant in the room'. With facilitation in their own first languages, the students spend a significant amount of time learning and experiencing each other's life experience living in the region.
Desert Dawgs
Desert Dawgs: Pedaling Towards a Brighter Future
Captain: Brett Cohen | Goal: $10,000 | Raised: $2,523
Driven by the memory of the October 7th tragedy and fueled by a passion for environmental sustainability and peacebuilding, the Desert Dawgs are back in the saddle. In 2016 and 2022, we rode through the Negev, raising over $170,000 cumulatively for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, planting seeds of hope and sustainability in the heart of the desert. But this time, it's more than just a bike ride. It's a pedal of solidarity. We're riding for the families who lost loved ones, for the communities rebuilding lives, and for the dream of a united, sustainable future. Our Desert Dawgs team primarily hails from the NY metro area, but we have also welcomed members from as far away as California. So, join us! Feel the thrill of the desert landscape, the camaraderie of like-minded riders, and the profound impact you can make. Remember, the desert awaits, and the Desert Dawgs are ready to roar. Are you with us? Join the Desert Dawgs in October. Ride with us, donate, or spread the word! And if you aren't part of a team and would like to be, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Whether you conquer the hills with us or cheer us on from afar, your support will echo across the land, propelling us forward. #DesertDawgs #AravaInstituteforEnvironmentalStudies #AIES #FAI
Mandell JCC West Hartford
Looking to be together and take in what will then be behind us
Captain: Bruce Stanger | Goal: $10,000 | Raised: $394
This team has been on every ride for more than a decade. The members change but we ride on with traditions of giving and caring. Even in the recent hard times the Arava Institute continued to operate doing what it does best, work together. No other program in the Middle East convenes students from such varied political, cultural, and religious backgrounds to live, study, and learn from one another. We are proud to be riding for the Arava Institute.
Peddling for Peace
My heart is full and my prayers are plenty
Captain: SHARON COHEN | Goal: $12,000 | Raised: $3,000
Last year, I was successful in raising $12,000 towards the crucial peace-building and environmental justice work of the incredible Arava Institute! This year, I ride again. The work of the Arava Institute has never been more important. Faced with the undeniable impact of climate change, the cutting edge environmental research carried on at the Institute provides vital insights into methods to cope with a warming world. The cross border initiatives bring important innovations to Israel and their neighbors in Gaza, the West Bank, Africa and with expanding Isreal relations with other Arab nations. The Arava Institute advances the cause of peace as they strive to demonstrate to leaders at both the national and local levels.
Team Colorado
We carry Israel in our hearts
Captain: Jason Steele | Goal: $10,000 | Raised: $1,142
We are serious cyclists, mostly from the Denver area. As the captain, I've been road riding for 40 years, including over 25 here in Colorado. And although I love all-day rides in the Rocky Mountains, our team is very welcoming to beginning and intermediate riders. As someone who visits Israel regularly, and is married to an Israeli-American, it's always been my dream to bicycle there, and this will be my first Israel Ride.
Team JCDS-Boston
AHAVAT ISRAEL - ON TWO WHEELS!
Captain: David Chodirker | Goal: $40,000 | Raised: $5,689
The total of all funds raised for TEAM JCDS riders will be matched 1:1 by a generous donor and donated to JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School in support of its STEM and Israel Studies curriculum. JCDS's head of school, Shira Deener, will be riding and interacting from the ground with the school's students and teachers in support of its interdisciplinary curriculum on desert and environmental science, biblical geography and environmental justice, which will taught concurrently with the RIDE.
Team Wisconsin
Sights set on riding across Israel together
Captain: David Barash | Goal: $10,000 | Raised: $95
In the middle of October, we heard this update from the institute: “Our students [Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian] are in class today, they are meeting to discuss how this war has affected them, they are learning what caring about each other means in the face of conflict. Three of our students have been called up to army service, others are taking notes for them so they will be able to join their classes when they return. More than ever your support for this oasis of peace is essential in this time of conflict.” Furthermore, the home of the institute, Kibbutz Ketura, is now home also to many displaced people. 100 international students in the Young Judea program on a gap-year in Israel have been moved to the kibbutz as a place of relative safety. The kibbutz has also taken over 100 Israeli families as refugees from settlements near the Gaza area. If you are moved by this and are looking for a way to support people in Israel, we urge you to make a donation through our fundraising page to the Arava Institute.
Interested in Forming an Israel Ride Team?
Many of the teams listed are welcoming new team members, but you may also want to consider forming your own team.
Some of the reasons Teams are the way to go:
- They bring a special group of people together
- Provide moral support for each other
- To organize group fundraising events and redistribute fundraising amongst team members
- Can be in honor or in memory of someone
- There's nothing better than experiencing Israel alongside your friends, family, community members, and/or colleagues!
General Team Guidelines:
- There is no limit to the number of riders on a team. Teams could range from one rider to dozens of riders.
- Teams can consist of riders who are riding different routes.
- Each Team needs a Team Captain. The team captain is typically integral to organizing and recruiting for the team and may also provide ongoing support and leadership to the team.
- Each team member must register individually and is responsible for their own fundraising minimum.
- At their discretion, the team may fundraise as a team and allocate contributions raised by the team to the fundraising requirements of individual participants.
- There is no additional cost or fundraising commitment to ride as a team.
- If a Team member has reached their fundraising minimum, they can transfer their excess fundraising to help cover another team member’s fundraising commitment.
Qualifications for Team Perks:
- To qualify for perks, your Team must have six or more people, including at least two new riders who have never been on the Israel Ride before.
- Every Team of six people (including at least two new riders) will be awarded $900 to be used at the Team Captain’s discretion. Some examples of how funds can be used are: to purchase Team jerseys, to buy wine for the Team on Shabbat in Israel, or to be distributed to ease travel costs. Alternatively, funds can go towards assisting with the expenses for specific team members, could be donated to an organization (e.g., Synagogue or JCC) that the team members are affiliated with, or can be donated to the Arava Insitute, the beneficiary of the Ride. Ultimately, it's up to the Team Captain!
- Every Team of 10 people (including at least two new riders) will be awarded $1,500 to be used at the Team Captain’s discretion.