Original Article Published on the JNS

“The team has the name Israel on its jersey. It is important that they will know what Israel looks like—the culture, the people, the history, the food. It will give them a nice taste of what it looks like and feels like to be here,” said Guy Niv, a cyclist with Team Israel Start-Up Nation.

Guy Niv

When Team Israel Start-Up Nation cyclist Guy Niv connects with his fellow riders, it usually requires flying from Ben-Gurion International Airport to Europe or some other far-off destination for a training ride or a race. This past Friday, Niv had a different airport experience—he greeted his fellow riders at Ben-Gurion they arrived for their first full-team visit to Israel since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the recent opening of the gates to tourism in the country.

“It is super-nice to welcome everyone to Israel—and to go to training from home with no flights, no packing,” he declared.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Atzmon in Israel’s north, said “my girlfriend took me to the airport to meet the team.” Niv spoke with JNS from the team bus as they headed to Jerusalem for a packed weekend of festivities that will include some riding, but mostly touring, bonding, meet-and-greets with Israelis and a Sunday reception for the team at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Israel Start-Up Nation—its first professional cycling team—was established in 2015 and includes riders from Israel and abroad. The team began to compete at a higher level when Sylvan Adams joined as a co-owner alongside Ron Baron. The team has competed in its first Grand Tour, joined the WorldTour (the highest level of professional cycling) and secured a spot in the 2020 Tour de France. In 2021, Israeli rider Itamar Einhorn defeated ex-world champion Peter Sagan to claim the first WorldTour victory by an Israeli.

Adams is impressed with his team and not at all disappointed that they won’t spend the majority of their time on intensive rides. “This will be a more relaxed camp—more of a tourism and bonding camp—and will permit the team to experience some of the marvels of Israel,” he said. Israel Start-Up Nation is currently ranked in the top 10 in the world for the first time in its history and enjoyed 17 victories this season.

Riding legend Chris Froome, 36, who has won the Tour de France four times in addition to other prestigious bike races, is looking forward to being in Israel and doing some riding.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froom greets some of his younger fans during a stop outside of Jerusalem by members of Team Israel Start-Up Nation. Source: Twitter.

Back in the country since his last race in Spain, Niv recounted that he hiked in the desert with friends and celebrated his brother’s recent marriage, and now looks forward to spending time with his teammates. Now, it’s back to training-related events. He reported that there will only be two or three team rides; he and his Israeli teammates are scheduled to lead one in the Golan Heights.

Niv sees this trip as an important opportunity for his fellow riders to truly experience Israel. “The team has the name Israel on its jersey. It is important that they will know what Israel looks like—the culture, the people, the history, the food. It will give them a nice taste of what it looks like and feels like to be here.”

He noted that while his fellow riders are “athletes, not politicians,” they are often asked about the situation in Israel. “The best way for them to answer is to be here a bit and see. They will have a chance to form their own opinions.”

Israeli teammate Itamar Einhorn, 24, said he sees a benefit in bringing the team to Israel: “I’m always excited to show our riders what the country has to offer.”

Cyclists with Team Start-Up Nation Israel tour Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Credit: Noa Arnon/Cycling Academy LTD.

‘I didn’t expect so many fans’

The team has already met and interacted with hundreds of devoted fans. On their first morning of ISN Homecoming Camp in Israel, fans met riders, got autographs and posed for selfies as they rode from Jerusalem to the summit of Nes Harim in the Judean hills, the largest meet-up destination for cyclists in Israel, and hosted a morning coffee stop at the Bar Bahar restaurant in the Jerusalem Forest in Bar Giora.

“I didn’t expect so many fans and riders,” acknowledged Froome. Later in the day on Saturday, they took a walking tour of the Old City and the Western Wall.

At the Sunday event, Israeli President Isaac Herzog enthusiastically greeted the riders, saying: “We welcome the team whole-heartedly, and we bless you that you are representing Jerusalem and Israel in the world of cycling. This team shows incredible professionalism, and we are honored to have you all here. We are very proud that you are formatting into a world-class team, and we believe that you will only continue to get better and get more results next year.”

Herzog shared his enthusiasm for the delegation’s visit on Twitter: “Thrilled to welcome back to Israel the incredible cyclists of @TeamIsraelSUN, including world legend @chrisfroome, after a season with a top-ten team ranking and 17 international wins! Enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Israel at lightning speed!”

Cyclists with Team Start-Up Israel meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Credit: Noa Arnon/Cycling Academy LTD.

‘We try to use the sport to build bridges’

Adams has been involved with many high-profile events in Israel designed to showcase the land and its people. They include bringing Madonna to the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel in 2010 and donating $5 million to SpaceIL, the organization working to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon.

He said he is pleased that the riders have the opportunity to visit Israel and that Israeli supporters get to spend time with them. “It’s very important for us to bring the team here to introduce the riders to our home country to make them understand what Israel is as we are ambassadors for the nation. We don’t have a brand sponsor like other teams; our brand is Israel, and we carry the name everywhere we go. Another mission of ours is to help make the world a better place, and we try to use the sport to build bridges and to make new friends around the world.”

Prior to the trip, Froome reported, “I am very much looking forward to finally being able to visit Israel. Throughout this year, I have really felt the heart-warming support from the Israeli fans, and I can’t wait to meet them in person and thank them for all their support.”

He made it a point to emphasize that he likes what he has seen so far: “I have so enjoyed being in Israel these last few days and would really like to come back with my family next year. In this team, one of our biggest visions is to inspire the new generation of Israeli cyclists. When we met our young fans, it was clear to see how they were all dreaming of becoming professional riders. You could their eyes sparkle when they met the team and to witness that vision of ours being realized right now is such a joy.”

The team started its schedule with a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem on Sunday. Members visited Tel Aviv on Monday. They plan to meet with young riders to talk about cycling and racing at several schools once back up north. Additionally, the team will be presented at the Expo on Thursday, one day before the 2021  Ironman 70.3 Tiberias competition and its 2,000 competitors on Nov. 12.

Israel Start-Up Nation announced that Israeli riders Niv, Einhorn, Omer Goldstein and Guy Sagiv will stay with the team next year, maintaining an important Israeli presence on the team.

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Original Article Published in the Jerusalem Post


Photo: JEFF AND MIRIAM GREEN FROM WASHINGTON, DC TO BEERSHEBA, 1991(photo credit: Courtesy Green Family)

As a teenager, Jeff Green was a committed and observant Conservative Jew with plans of becoming a Conservative rabbi – until a friend showed him a brochure for Pardes.

The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem refers to itself as “an open, inclusive, diverse and intellectually challenging Jewish learning community.” For Green, one year at Pardes turned into two. “I overestimated what I thought I knew. I knew nothing! I had to learn how to learn.”

During those years at Pardes and in Jerusalem, Green fell more deeply in love with Israel. “I had to be in Israel,” Green vowed before going back to the US to save up money for his ultimate return to Israel. He was determined not to date – even resisting his mother’s pushing. He then devised a plan. He would agree to date to please her – but there were enough caveats to assure he never actually dated.

“I said, ok, only Modern Orthodox, attractive, DC area and willing to make aliyah in a year!” Green and his wife of decades, Miriam Green, laugh as they recount this period in what seems like ancient history during our Zoom interview from their living room in Beersheba.

“Miriam was on my list,” he admits.

“We had friends in common.”

The two started to date.

“I wanted to date only someone willing to make aliyah within a year and not wait. We were married in September 1990 and made aliyah in July 1991.”

While the timing of their aliyah may not have been perfect (“We just missed the Gulf War”), the Greens came to Beersheba with a plan and with some support in place. Jeff’s sister and brother- in-law lived in Beersheba, where he was a professor, and Jeff had already been accepted to a Boston University/ Ben Gurion University master’s degree program in management

.“We knew we wanted to be here and raise kids here.”

THE MUGHRABI Bridge leading up to the Temple Mount compound, with the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock seen behind, in Jerusalem’s Old City. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

THE MUGHRABI Bridge leading up to the Temple Mount compound, with the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock seen behind, in Jerusalem’s Old City. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Green was blessed with a great professional opportunity upon graduation.

“When I walked out with my master’s degree, my predecessor was looking for a protégée. I became a financial officer in charge of donations.”

As he reflects on his nearly 30 years at BGU, he is proud.

“We went from 6,000 to 20,000 students, we have three campuses and are about to double. It is interesting to be part of it.”

He balances his professional work with a large dose of Jewish learning and teaching, including daf yomi (daily page of Talmud learning). He and Miriam are also very involved in their local synagogue.

Jeff’s strong desire while in his early 20’s to live in Israel is rivaled only by Miriam’s commitment to the Holy Land.

“My journey to Israel started in 1949,” she offers playfully.

“When my mother was 10, she and her family made aliyah from England. Her father became ill in the Krayot and they went back to England.” Their desire to live in Israel never waned.

“When I was 12, my family lived in Rehovot for a year,” Miriam report. “That year made me determined to return, which I did in 1982 with Habonim.” She spent 1982-83 on Kibbutz Gesher Haziv with Habonim (youth movement), then began her university studies at Oberlin College in Ohio. Israel was still very much on her mind. “I looked for all the people with Israeli sandals and became friends.” At that point, she made two promises to herself. “I would make Aliyah and continue to write.” Miriam hoped to always pursue her love of writing.

“My grandparents made aliyah in 1983,” she recounts, “and when we arrived in 1990, we had an opportunity to interact with them intimately until their deaths.”

She reports that she always “had an ingrained sense that this is my country.” She recalls that 1976-77 were significant years, referencing the heroic raid on Entebbe and Israel winning the 1977 FIBA European Champions Cup championship. Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Mobilgirgi Varese by one point, 78–77, in the finals.

Miriam spent 1982-1983 on Kibbutz Gesher Haziv with Habonim (youth movement), then began her university studies at Oberlin College in Ohio.

Israel was still very much on her mind.

“I looked for all the people with Israeli sandals and became friends.”

At that point, she made two promises to herself.“I would make aliyah and continue to write.” Miriam hoped to always pursue her love of writing.

Miriam gushes with pride when she reports, “We had five generations here at one time – this is just astounding!”

Her grandparents lived in Netanya, and her parents made aliyah in 1994, the year her first son was born. Her father, a biochemist, had done a post-doc in Israel from 1964 to 1966.

While the Green’s aliyah was “storybook” in many ways, they faced challenges.

Miriam shared her experience in an article she wrote for “Guideposts” (guideposts.org), the publication of the spiritual non-profit organization that encourages wellness through inspirational content creation and also maintains an outreach ministry. The article, entitled “They Followed In Abraham’s Spiritual Footsteps: What compelled this couple to give up everything they knew to move to Israel when they couldn’t even speak the local language?” Miriam writes candidly about the struggles learning Hebrew.

“I struggled to conjugate verbs, memorize vocabulary and refine my accent. Who knew that the word for ‘interview’ (ra’ayon) sounded just like pregnancy (herayon)? These two words would define my biggest struggles in my new land: starting a family and defining a job.”

Miriam and Jeff had dreams of raising a large family.

“We wanted at least four children. When a year passed without us conceiving, we went to the top fertility specialist in Beersheba.”

The Greens are proud of the support the country provides, including free IVF treatment for the first two children up until a woman turns 45.

“We were thrilled. We tried IUI and many rounds of drugs before we got the results we were hoping and praying for. Jeff and I eventually succeeded – with God’s help, and an amazing array of doctors – in birthing three healthy children. We were blessed with countless babysitters and playmates for them.”

The Greens appreciated the support of members of their adopted Beersheba community who shared similar stories of struggles conceiving.

Miriam, who had worked at the Federal Reserve Bank in the US, had difficulties finding comparable work due to her lack of fluency in Hebrew.

She then found a job with a good fit – working to help new immigrants, through AACI (the Association for Americans and Canadians in Israel).

This job, in turn, helped her improve her Hebrew as she was working with many government agencies in her advocacy work on behalf of clients.

Miriam worked with AACI for 18 years helping new arrivals to Israel.

“Find a community,” she advises all new olim. She further explains, “Aliyah is like a smorgasbord buffet – you need to know to go up to it – it won’t come to you.

”She speaks of the many services and supports available to olim – if they wish to take advantage of them.

Another challenge Miriam has written openly about on her impressive website, thelostkitchen.org, is her mother’s dementia. She has also written a book, The Lost Kitchen: Reflections and Recipes from an Alzheimer’s Caregiver. The book masterfully weaves poetry, recipes and anecdotes.

Her mom, Naomi, currently lives in the Orpaz memory care facility in Beersheba.

The Greens are great ambassadors for their Beersheba community.

“It is an open, friendly and warm community,” Miriam reports, stressing the many connections they have made in their synagogue and beyond.

They are pleased their 27-year-old son, 24-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son live in Israel (though their daughter and her boyfriend – also a Beersheba native – are currently in Los Angeles and plan to return soon). One small source of frustration the Greens report is property crime, which has included break-ins and stolen cars.

The Greens are also ambassadors for aliyah. Jeff speaks for the two of them when he reports, “I can’t imagine our life any place else. I firmly believe this is the place for me.”

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I am honored to present “Inclusion and the Jewish Tradition” at the Limmud “Global Day of Jewish Learning.” Watch at 10 am ET on November 7th!  https://limmudna.org/globalday/.     

 The Global Day of Jewish Learning – Limmud North America Hundreds of communities, large and small, join together for one day of intercontinental Jewish learning, powered by Limmud. Launched in 2010 as an effort to connect Jews around the world in mutual appreciation of Jewish wisdom, the Global Day of Jewish Learning is inspired by the vision and leadership of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz z”. limmudna.org

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Original Article Published On The JNS

When Jonah Adelsberg completed the last of his 10 half-marathons in Miami, he considered his future running options. “I was thinking ‘that’s it,’ then realized I had more gas in the tank,” the 28-year-old Long Island native reports. He decided that he would apply to run in the 2020 TCS New York City Marathon. He was accepted, but the race was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This Sunday, Nov. 7, Adelsberg, along with an estimated 33,000 runners, will finally have his chance to run 26.2 miles through all five boroughs—from Staten Island to Central Park as the race itself celebrates 50 years in the making.

Adelsberg’s journey to this year’s marathon started nearly 20 years ago to the day when, at 8 years old, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgins lymphoma. He recalls, “My battle came with lots of physical and emotional trauma, and my childhood was defined by constant therapies and checkups.”

He also notes the toll his illness took on his sister and feels that having “a real support system for me and for my family really helped get us through it.” He attributes much of this care to Chai Lifeline, which “supported me and my family in every way possible.”

He says that at that time, pediatric cancer wasn’t something really talked about publicly. Chai Lifeline helped his parents find the best doctors and helped rally the community around his family.

Adelsberg, currently in charge of Strategic Partnerships and Marketing at Safe and Sound Studios in Brooklyn, N.Y., has dedicated his marathon run to raise funds for Chai Lifeline, the international health network that provides a network of support services for children and families facing serious illness and other challenges. “You hear stories these days that funds are spread really thin because of COVID-19. There is a real need to help children and family members now,” reports Adelsberg, who is sensitive to the financial burden that having a serious or life-threatening disease can have on a family.

As a child, Adelsberg attended Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s summer program for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. He and his sister also worked at Camp Simcha as counselors.

Over the years, he and his father have run numerous half-marathons with Team Lifeline, Chai Lifeline’s endurance-training program, raising more than $100,000 for the organization. “I was one of the lucky ones to be able to get to this point,” says Adelsberg. “If I’m able-bodied enough to raise money by doing something I love, that is an honor for me to do this.”

Adelsberg says he will be thinking of those kids and his journey as he winds the famed course through the entirety of New York City. “My experience reminds me that it could always be worse, and that’s important to remember others—not just for those of us who’ve fought cancer but for everyone. When I run, it’s not because I love running, even though I know how important exercise is. It’s because I know that I’m doing this because, in life, we are truly warriors and fight whatever struggles are thrown our way.

“That’s why I’ll be there,” he emphasizes, “and that’s what I hope will push me forward towards that finish line.”

‘A way to express my gratitude’

Californian Yitzi Teichman, 24, will also be running in this Sunday’s New York City Marathon, and he, too, will support Chai Lifeline.

After the diagnosis of a brain tumor at the age of 17 and a complex 14-hour surgery, he eventually attended Camp Simcha. After that summer experience, Teichman spent three months in treatment and therapy in Boston, saying that within a year, he was “pretty much back to my pre-cancer self.”

Always an athlete, Teichman viewed running as a way to prove mentally and physically that he was well on the road to a full recovery. In January 2015, he completed a half-marathon in the Miami Marathon with Team Lifeline.

Teichman, an administrator of a 185 resident psychiatric facility in Los Angeles, credits Chai Lifeline with giving him and many others like him the tools and support to get through illness. “When you are diagnosed with a serious disease, you kind of become an outcast or some sort of foreign creature. People treat you differently; it’s as if they’re always scared to say the wrong thing. I know that doesn’t come from a bad place, but it leaves you feeling that much more helpless, and the truth is, then you feel even sicker. With my Chai Lifeline friends and at Camp Simcha, I was treated normally again.”

Teichman notes that much of his motivation to take part in his first full marathon comes from recognizing how blessed he has been with his recovery. “My experience with cancer has exposed me to so many friends who have passed away or lost their ability to walk, and others whose diseases messed up their lives physically and mentally. I feel so lucky to be where I am, and running for this organization is a great way to express my gratitude.”

‘One of the ultimate athletic events’

Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline, is proud of Adelsberg, Teichman and everyone connected to the Chai Lifeline family.

“The New York City Marathon represents one of the ultimate athletic events in the world today, and it is heartwarming to see how some of our past Chai Lifeline kids have reached this point and are able not just to run the race, but to dedicate their experience to helping others,” he says. “We are deeply grateful to all those who join and support Team Lifeline, and help enable us to better the lives of countless children and families.”

The 2021 TCS New York City Marathon kicks off at 8 a.m. with the professional wheelchair division, followed by the hand-cycle category and select athletes with disabilities. They are followed by professional women who take off at 8:40 a.m., professional men at 9:05 a.m. and five waves of runners. Participants start in Staten Island, proceed north through Brooklyn and Queens, west across the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, up to the Bronx and then south into Manhattan and Central Park.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the number of competitors this year has been limited to 33,000, significantly fewer than the 53,639 participants who completed the 2019 race, the last time the marathon took place. That year, participants came from 140 countries, completing the course in an average time of 4:33:52 and raising some $45 million for charity.

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