All of Hazon’s programs are open to people of any religious background, or none. We want this Ride to be inclusive and accessible for Jewish people – and non-Jews – of all backgrounds and religious practice, as well as no practice at all. This inclusion is conscious, intentional, and emphasizes the values of kavod (respect) for one another. We feel that a religiously diverse community is rich, valuable, and is the kind of community we are looking to create on this Ride.

To achieve that goal, we hope to offer many Jewish experiences that you may or may not be familiar with such as: birkat hamazon (grace after meals), meditation, yoga, daily prayer, mikveh (ritual immersion), Kabbalat Shabbat with and without musical instruments, and the observance of Tisha B’Av. You may choose to participate or choose to abstain. Our aim is to provide explanation for all that we do. All questions are welcome. We hope that you will feel comfortable trying new things on this Ride.

Shabbat

Shabbat will be an integral part of the Cross-USA Ride. After six days of biking each week, our rest days each Saturday will give you an opportunity to relax and recharge. We see Shabbat on this ride as a peaceful, spiritual, and enjoyable day. We will aim to create weekly experiences that accommodate everyone’s individual needs for personal observance, spiritual reflection, and personal time, as well as communal celebration of Shabbat.

Like every day of the Ride, each Shabbat will vary based on our location. While details are still being worked out, here is an overview of each weekend:

• Seattle, WA: Our first Shabbat together will be at Bastyr University. We will get to know each other as we form our community for the next ten weeks. The Seattle community is invited to join us for havdalah, the transition from Shabbat into the rest of the week. The community will then see us off as we launch the ride on Sunday.
• Spokane, WA: We will be staying at Gonzaga University and joining the Reform and Conservative synagogues for Shabbat services and meals. We will have time to relax after the first week of riding, time to sit at a local park or time to see some of Spokane.
• Helena, MT: The Helena Jewish community will be joining us, as well as the local rabbi from Bozeman. Go on a tour of Jewish historic Helena, and see the first synagogue established between Seattle and Minneapolis. We will stay at Carroll College right in the center of town.
• Miles City, MT: We will be staying at a motel, having our meals at a local church, and spend Shabbat with just our cycling group.
• Aberdeen, SD: The Cross-USA Ride in 2000 spent Shabbat in Aberdeen, giving their community a minyan for the first time in years. We will join this Jewish community once again, making it a special homecoming for our ride.
• Twin Cities, MN: We will stay in St. Paul with home hospitality. On Friday we will meet the farmer who provides vegetables for Hazon’s CSA in St. Paul. We will spend Shabbat at Congregation Beth Jacob with Rabbi Morris Allen, the founder of Magen Tzedek.
• Madison, WI: Shabbat in this college town will include meals hosted by the Chabad of University of Wisconsin. We will stay in the center of town at a motel.
• Chicago, IL: We will spend a few days in the Chicago metro area, including a service day at a nearby Jewish farm. We will be staying at a hostel in Lakeview for Shabbat, with various synagogues nearby. Sunday is Tisha b’Av, a fast day commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and we will have various programs and time off.
• Dayton, OH: We will be welcomed to Dayton by Temple Israel for Shabbat, who will provide home hospitality for our riders. We will get to see how they are utilizing their synagogue garden as part of their programming.
• Connellsville, PA: Our final Shabbat will be spent in cabins and camping on the banks of the Youghiogheny River. Connellsville was once home to a small Jewish community, some of whom may join us over Shabbat.