12/27/2022 0 Comments Camp simcha tour de simcha livenow![]() ![]() The ingathering of the exiles-absorption of Jews from all different countries and backgrounds all over the world to unite in this shared project of building the Jewish state-has likely contributed to the relentless “can-do” approach of Israelis for any situation they may encounter. This quirky moment is one of a number of such “only in Israel” moments I’ve experienced during my 22 visits to Israel over the years. After a while, the police came, located the drivers, moved the cars, and freed up our bus, though it was too late for our rafting appointment, leaving our quest to tame the mighty Jordan River waters for a future visit to Israel! Listening to Gila’s side of the conversation, in Hebrew, I was pretty amused: “Are the drivers of the cars there?” “Of course they’re not here, otherwise we wouldn’t be calling you and asking for help!”…”No, we haven’t gone looking for the drivers, how would we even know who they are if we found them?”…”But you’re the Tzefat police! Get down here and take care of the problem!” I couldn’t help but laugh at this exchange and think to myself, this could only happen in Israel, where a tour guide would call and yell at the police and tell them to “get down here and do your job!” And it worked. Our beloved guide, Gila Rosenfield, with whom I’ve worked six times in the last 12 years on synagogue Israel trips, called the Tzefat police department to complain and ask for help solving the problem. Worries about people hurting themselves and liability for damage to the cars won the day, so, short of waiting for those drivers to return, the only option we had was to call the Tzefat police. At Mitchell Fonberg’s urging, we briefly considered having several group members try to lift the cars and move them out of the way. ![]() Even our skillful bus driver, Shlomi-who had previously gotten our bus unscathed through narrow berths that had us listening for the sound of metal scraping the walls or the cars on either side of us-was left with no way to get the bus around the corner and continue our drive. Soon after we boarded our bus and headed on our way, we abruptly stopped at the bottom of a narrow road where three cars were parked illegally on two of the corners. This summer, in the midst of our highly successful Shearith Family Mission to Israel, our group of 34 people spent a morning wandering the alleys of the mystical city of Tzefat, watching a Bar Mitzvah celebration at the historic Abuhav Synagogue and exploring the beautiful works in the Artists’ Colony. This entry was posted in Blog, General, Newsroom, Volunteers and Supporters and tagged Camp Simcha, Chai LIfeline, charity bicycle rides, charity cycling, Tour de Simcha by Chai Lifeline. “They are proving that disabilities can’t stop you.” “It’s the essence of camp,” commented a woman who wouldn’t take her eyes off the performance. This year’s program included two choreographed dances adapted for children with disabilities.Ĭyclists were clearly moved as they watched. It begins with a lavish and spirited pasta party the night before the ride, and ends with an emotional, triumphant entrance into Camp Simcha and a presentation created by the campers. The fully supported ride allows women to choose both distance and route. Now in its fourth year, Tour De Simcha has become one of the premier women’s charity cycling events. “It’s worth it for the kids,” another said. “It’s all in your mind,” one laughed at a visitor who was clearly feeling the temperature. Many professed that they hadn’t felt the 90+ degree heat during the afternoon. The group was welcomed with music, screaming adulation from the campers, dancing, and a barbecue guaranteed to replace all calories lost during the arduous trek. They got off their bicycles, which were efficiently whisked away by volunteers, and danced with Camp Simcha Special’s campers and staff. They arrived in a sea of hot pink cycling shirts and matching covers for their helmets.ĭespite the fact that it seemed like every hill was going up, the women seemed filled with energy as they passed the finish line. The women cycled either 40 or 75 miles to reach the “The World’s Greatest Finish Line,” the gates of Camp Simcha. The road from Vernon, NJ to Glen Spey, NY was dotted with pink last week when 219 women cycled their way from the Minerals Spa and Resort to Camp Simcha Special as part of the 2017 Tour de Simcha. ![]() The Tour De Simcha entry to camp was led by two CSS cyclists. ![]()
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