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The Israel Ride

Off the beaten path from
Jerusalem to Eilat.

Vivian Henoch | Special to the Jewish News

B

illed as “the ride of a lifetime,”
the Israel Ride delivers as prom-
ised. According to Andrea “Andy”
Roisman of Beverly Hills, a veteran traveler
to Israel and the sole Detroit rider on the
seven-day cycling tour this past October,
pedaling 250 miles through the desert from
Jerusalem to Eilat was a transformative
Israel experience.
At 60, Roisman counts the Israel Ride as
a milestone in her life, affirming her physi-
cal strength and mental stamina, her love
of Israel and her desire to help organize a
cohort of Detroiters for the next Israel Ride,
Nov. 8-15.
Celebrating its 13th “bar mitzvah” year
this past October, the Israel Ride is a fund-
raising event benefiting two organizations,
with proceeds going to the Arava Institute
for Environmental Studies in Israel and to
Hazon, the nonprofit working to promote
food justice and sustainable communities
across the U.S., including its newest branch
in Detroit.
Participants on the ride commit to a

minimum fundraising
level of $3,600 and
cover their own airfare
to and from Israel.
The Israel Ride covers
all other travel costs in
Israel including hotels,
food and ride support.

GETTING STARTED
For Roisman, the Israel Ride started as
a goal she set for herself back in January
2015. “My cousins in Massachusetts had
been on a previous ride in 2012 and
encouraged me to join them in their plans
to return for the 2015 Israel Ride,” she said.
“I was about to turn 60 in June and my
cousin said to me, ‘You need to mark the
occasion with some unbelievable milestone
event in your life; you need to do this ride.
It will be life changing; I promise. You will
not ever be the same.’
“Well, I thought that was a little nuts. I
didn’t consider myself that strong a rider,
but the idea caught on when I looked into

Andy Roisman

the tour in more detail and saw how well
it was organized. I thought, OK … if I’m
going to commit to this thing, I had bet-
ter start training on hills because there
were going to be some serious mountains
to climb. I was right and my cousins were
right; it was an incredible journey and, in
every way, the ride of my life.”

A JOURNEY, NOT A RACE
Describing the group dynamics, Roisman
explains, “We were 162 riders of all abili-
ties — from ages 13 to 76 — though the
majority of the riders were in their mid-40s
to 60s. There were three varying routes to
accommodate and challenge riders at their
own pace with distances averaging 30, 55
or 75 miles a day.
“Additionally, for those who preferred

THE RIDE FOR PEACE
The Israel Ride started as a peace initiative
of the Arava Institute, a leading think tank
in Israel working with Israeli, Palestinian
and Jordanian students in search of com-
mon ground on which to broaden their
understanding of the region and its chal-
lenges working toward environmental sus-
tainability on issues of water, solar power,
land use, forestation and energy.
As Roisman explained, “At every stop
throughout the week we met Arava alumni,
along with students from all over the
region. They told their stories. They shared
their hopes for the region. Riding through
the desert, you really see the challenges of
the land.
“From Jerusalem, we rode to Ashkelon,
where you can see the lights of Gaza at
night. We rode along the Egyptian border
and along the edges of Bedouin villages. We
passed lush green fields of crops growing in
the desert. We climbed mountains. We saw
Israel as few tourists ever do. Challenging.
Eye-opening. Breathtaking. And motivat-
ing us in new ways to learn, to return and
become advocates of peaceful change.”
Asked if she would ride again, Roisman
is quick to point out that she came home
with new muscles — a stronger and more
confident rider than she ever imagined she
could be. And, yes, she would like to lead
the charge in recruiting riders for next year.
“We could fill a bus with Detroit riders, I’m
sure.”

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26 January 28 • 2016

some time to explore Israel off the seat of
their bikes, there were options for full-day
or half-day excursions. Every inch of the
way, they had you covered. Bike routes were
fully supported by lead riders, SAG [sup-
port and gear] vehicles, mechanics, tour
guides, security and medical personnel.
And the rest stops were frequent and abun-
dant oases, stocked with fresh fruit, food
and drink.
“Most remarkably were the destina-
tions — places I had never seen before,
and I’ve been to Israel multiple times a year
since my brother moved there 33 years
ago.”
Those places included Beit Guvurin, a
Roman-era city with underground caverns
on the way to Ashkelon; Kibbutz Tze’elim,
where the terrain transitions from agricul-
tural kibbutzim in central Israel to semi-
arid desert; Shabbat in Mitzpe Ramon in
the Negev perched atop Makhtesh Ramon,
a giant crater; Kibbutz Ketura in Arava
Valley; and a spectacular (and heart-stop-
ping) 12-mile descent to the sea at Eilat.

Interested? Visit israelride.org. This story first appeared
on Federation’s MyJewishDetroit.org, where Vivian
Henoch is editor.