Day 4 - To the Arava

October 28, 2018

This is a complicated post to write.  Many conflicting emotions.  Saturday evening, as the sun goes down, Jews celebrate the end of the sabbath with a ceremony called Havdalah - which comes from the Hebrew root that means differentiating or dividing between - it is the moment, when 3 stars appear in the sky that the Sabbath ends and the next week begins. It is both joyful in its celebration and wistful as we leave the holy space of Shabbat and enter the everyday week.  On the Israel Ride, we gather at the Makhtesh as the sun sets over that magnificent sight in a moving moment of community.  This year, as we began our songs, we began to learn for the first time of the horrible shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.  We had no information on the extent of the horror, but we have several people on the Ride from that community, and others who have spent time there in other phases of their lives.  So our usual rush of spirit of the moment was complicated by sorrow and fear.

On Sunday morning, as the extent of the horror became clearer - with 11 dead and others injured, we gathered again at the Makhtesh to begin our ride for the day.  Many people begin the day with morning prayers as the sun rises.  The rest gather for a spirited group photos and send off.  But we begin with a moment of silence for the victims of Pittsburg, and the blast of the shofar.

Then we are released, one at a time, down a thrilling descent into the Makhtesh, across the floor and a steep climb out the other side. Then a long day of riding in the desert.  This is one of the best days of the ride - for we are truly in the desert, riding through miles of stark landscape, over rolling hills, with precious few interruptions that might suggest civilization.  

We have lunch in a village that is quite literally in the middle of nowhere.  Finally we gather at the edge of the Arava Valley and prepare for a last descent of the day - a 4 mile thriller with the mountains of Jordan in the distance, to Kibbutz Ketura, home of the Arava Institute.  We are greeted warmly by the students and staff.  After 89 mile, the beer is the best tasting ever - and the potato chips almost taste sweet!  

Here is today’s ride video:  https://www.relive.cc/view/g26234249606

Tonight we have the opportunity to meet with current students (as we met with alumni yesterday).  We hear their stories and their vision of hope that through their studies and work they will break down some of the barriers that exist among the peoples who share this precious corner of the world.  I am still processing the enormity of the challenge, and my fear that this effort will bring change only at the margins.  Perhaps I will have more to say about this in a later post.

Tomorrow we climb back up the 4 mile thriller - which I can tell you is a very different experience!  We will ride along the Egyptian border to our last descent into Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea.  There is a point on the route where you can see 4 countries.  Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.  Pretty cool.  We will dip our toes and wheels into the Red Sea and celebrate having accomplished this challenging and thrilling adventure.

More later.

L’hitra-ot