BRAKES

from page 35

Howard Sherizen of Oak Park poses on the bike course.

handicaps. At ALYN, the staff is
actively involved with the children in
the long process of healing both their
physical and psychological damage.
Although I had reservations about
taking a bike trip in Israel, my fears
were quickly put to rest after discover-
ing that we would have a full comple-
ment of escorts — extra police to
divert vehicular traffic, an ambulance,
plus the usual charity bike event "sag
wagons" replete with refreshments and
mechanics. Our dedicated volunteers
carried guns and even provided a Sefer
Torah for reading on Monday and
Thursday mornings. By strategically
choosing the roads less traveled, "hot
spots" were avoided.
Prior to the ride, Bill rigorously trained
with "Team Alex" Make a Wish, the cele-
brated biking event founded several years
ago in memory of his and Susie's beloved
daughter. I prepped weekly with the
Wolverines and Loose Spokes cycling
clubs. Together we rode to Ann Arbor to
participate in last month's Israel Solidarity
Rally with other cycling aficionados.
But, alas, even with our training reg-
imen, we were no match for the vast
majority of the riders — those who
live and train in Israel . - They clearly
had the "home court" advantage.
Their training took place in the hills
of Bet Shemesh, Ma'aleh Adumim and
through the rolling paths of Jewish
National Fund forests that wind around
the tough terrain outside of.Jerusalem.
Some of the participants just a few
months before the ride were avid jog-
gers, marathon runners, swimmers or
even in-line skaters. For this event, how-
ever, we were all transformed into bike
riders and given identical yellow jerseys.
Ages on the ride ranged from
teenagers to grandparents in their 60s.
Homemakers, ivory-tower "think-

Howard Sherizen is a Farmington
Hills-based insurance counselor and
chartered financial consultant with the
Mass Mutual Financial Group.

tank" professionals, accountants,
authors, architects, hydro therapists
and beekeepers were all represented
professions.
Participants' countries of origin
spanned the globe — from Chile, -
Finland, Holland, Romania and even
Bangkok. The vast majority of the riders,
however, were acculturated "anglos" who
had made aliyah from English-speaking
countries — New Zealand, Australia,
South Africa, the United Kingdom and,
of course, the United States and Canada.
We discovered numerous riders who
were either born in Michigan or had
graduated from its colleges and universi-
ties, had made aliyah and now were suc-
cessfully integrated into Israeli society.
Hebrew, it seemed, was a foreign lan-
guage. Signs, directions, morning and
evening briefings about the trails and
terrain were all in English. We did
learn the meaning of breaksim (brakes),
especially during our first two days of
dirt biking down from the steep hills of
Jerusalem to British Park, with a fur-
ther descent into the town of Sederot.
Amidst a royal sendoff (even the
ambassador from the U.K. rode the
first 10 kilometers with us), including
hugs, kisses and unforgettable smiles
from the children of ALYN and heli-
um balloons tied to our bike seats, we
all left the Kiryat HaYovel hospital
parking lot to begin our journey.
Each segment of the trip was unique in
terrain, with undulating descents and
quadraceptual" challenges. It seemed like
we could ride for days without seeing
anyone, whether it was through the lush
JNF forests carpeting the Judean Hills or
the desolate, arid Negev. Then suddenly,
as if for comic relief, the ubiquitous
Nestle ice cream truck would appear out
of nowhere — like a desert mirage.

"

Inspiring Landscape
The invigorating, breathtaking beauty
and excitement of the terrain unfold-
ing before us amply rewarded our
tough climbs.

I had many opportunities through-
out the trip to recite the age-old bless-
ing of Oseh Ma'aseh VeRaisheet (...Who
makes the work of Primordial
Creation). This blessing is said when
witnessing an awe-inspiring phenome-
non of nature. Years back, when our
family went to the Grand Canyon we
recited this blessing.
Israel, too, has its own Grand Canyon.
The Ramon Crater is among the world's
largest desert craters, measuring 45 kilo-
meters in length. I was stunned by the
variety of contrasting rock formations
and rich hues, which surround the maze
of smaller canyons and winding wadis.
The views are spectacular riding into
the crater, but first you have to cling to
the road on a steep meandering descent,
hugging and pumping the bike brakes
until your knuckles are white.
While the.location of each of our three
doily minyanim (prayer quorums) was
picturesque, perhaps the most spectacular
vista was the sunrise at Shacharut. I won-
dered about the linguistic similarity of
davening the Shacharit morning service at
a mountain peak called Shacharut — the
perfect place to watch the daybreak.
From this summit, we could see the
lush kibbutzim below surrounded by
contrasting barren desert. To the east,
we viewed cities in Jordan and the
mountain range of Edom. To the south,
we saw the shimmering waters of the
Red Sea and Eilat, our final destination.
For Shacharit davening, we faced north,
with our hearts towards Jerusalem.
Regardless of any inconveniences we
might have faced during our trek --
whether saddle blisters, potholes, sand
traps or occasional leg cramps —
knowing that we were helping to pro-
vide desperately needed funds to
improve the lives of these special chil-
dren fueled us with enthusiasm that
kept us going strong.
The children of ALYN are our real
heroes. They endure not a five-day vaca-
tion, but serious challenges day-in and
day-out. Their inspiring example proves
to us that physical handicaps are not
obstacles, but roadblocks that can be
often overcome with a combination of
love and the best of professional care.
ALYN allows these children to reach their
fullest potential and live with as much
dignity and independence as possible.
To the ALYN "Wheels of Love" ride
coordinators: Make way for more
Michigan riders in 2003! ❑

Contributions can be sent to Detroit
Friends of ALYN, do Karen
Knoppow, president, 29455
Lochmoor, Farmington Hills, MI
48334.

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Call (248)398-9711

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12/6
2002

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