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History of the Ride to Remember
The Hillel’s Angels and the Jewish Motorcycle Alliance recognize that there is one promise that every Jew must keep and one commitment that every Jew has made - knowingly or not. It is the promise made to our parents, to our grandparents, and to all of mankind. It is the promise to never forget.
Holocaust remembrance can only occur through continuous and widespread Holocaust education. Together with the Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance’s (JMA) annual Ride to Remember (R2R), our efforts provide a curriculum of Holocaust Education to young men and women that will assure that remembrance transcends the generations. Our annual R2R effort helps to assure that tomorrow’s leaders understand the horrors of genocide and the terrible consequences of indifference. Holocaust education, in today’s world, may be more relevant than ever before. We must not only remember the horrors of our past, but do what we can to stop the genocides of tomorrow.
The first R2R in May of 2005, proved that the JMA, as an organizing body, could bring Jewish Motorcycle clubs together to honor the memory of those lost. The visit to the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC was a remarkable event which, for the first time, brought Jewish riders from across the entire East Coast and Canada together to commemorate Yom Hashoa.
In 2006, the Paper Clips Ride gave Jewish bikers from across the country and internationally a ride to be incredibly proud of. This R2R, the second annual Ride to Remember, provided the children of the Whitwell School of Tennessee, made famous by the movie “Paper Clips”, with much needed aid in the form of innovative educational tools. These tools have been used by the school to further their ongoing efforts to promote Holocaust Education and Tolerance.
In 2007, the R2R served to showcase the incredible strength of the Jewish Motorcycling Community. With bikers from across the country and around the world, our participation in the Salute To Israel Day Parade made it clear that together, we could not be ignored. Together, the strength of our community could accomplish great things and show proof that “Never Again” were not just words softly spoken in synagogues and schools but ROARED out loud for the world to hear.
In 2008, the R2R continued the trend of setting an ever higher standard of excellence in organization and execution. Beyond the amazing efforts made by the Jewish community of Omaha in creating what could only be described as an incredible welcome of the R2R rider participants, the 2008 R2R defined the purpose of the Ride to Remember, refocusing our efforts on Holocaust Remembrance through Education. The 2008 “Illuminations Ride” raised essential funds to assure Holocaust education in schools and universities that would otherwise not have a Holocaust curriculum and in doing so, illustrated the importance of education as a component of Holocaust Remembrance, firmly establishing Holocaust Education as a key element of all R2Rs to come.
In 2009, the R2R visited historic Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, continuing our struggle against anti–Semitism and ethnic hatred while promoting tolerance through Holocaust education. Funds were raised for educational endeavors sponsored by the Jewish communities in Savannah and Charleston. The two initiatives supported were The Remember Project - a Holocaust education project based in Charleston and the Holocaust Research and Lending Library in Savannah. The sincerity of our participants desire to “Ride to Remember” cannot be denied and you only needed to be on that wild journey, from Savannah to Charleston, to see it. With severe storm warnings blaring from the weather band radios while the roar of thunder and the cascades of rain fell with biblical force, the elements were readily overpowered by the scream of motorcycle engines. The Jewish community waiting for us in Charleston was not to be disappointed and the welcome we received was that much sweeter for everyone’s knowledge of the challenging ride.
Remember that beyond the charitable contributions made by participating clubs in the annual R2R, “getting there” is always an amazing experience. While a normal club ride may cover anywhere from 100 – 300 miles - a good days ride, the R2R for some of us means a commitment of thousands of miles , riding for several days, sometimes through difficult and challenging conditions – and we love every minute of it! While Jewish Bikers may not feel all that connected to Biketoberfest or Sturgis, the R2R is OUR event and hardcore riders have ridden through torrential rain, fog, and even snow to get there.
Keep a lookout for info related 2012 Toronto Canada R2R! “
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