Sunday, July 28 saw the Bronx River Parkway in Westchester County become a Westchester community solidarity event in support of Israel. The event was a bike ride, organized by Project 24 (P24), a social impact initiative. P24 supports long-term healing and empowerment for communities impacted by the events of October 7.
Participating in, and helping to coordinate, this bike ride was David Malchman’s Westchester Run for Their Lives (R4TL) group, which holds events focused on calling for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas. The Westchester group is a local chapter of the global Run for Their Lives organization.
“Our group has been meeting weekly for nearly eight months, keeping our Westchester communities engaged and aware of the plight of the hostages in Gaza and the impact on their families and friends,” Malchman told The Jewish Link. “During Sunday’s solidarity bike ride we were able to hear personal, horrific experiences of Israelis from October 7 and after. Many in the R4TL group were left speechless, reinforcing their sadness at the situation and, given our Jewish background, hope for a better future. I greatly appreciate the courage of these Israelis to come share their stories with us, and we look forward to connecting with them and creating stronger hope for the future.”
Founded in November 2023 in response to October 7, the idea for P24 started with Daniel Gradus meeting his lifelong friend Ron Assaf (Bubu), who had bravely fought back during the Hamas terror attack. The organization aims to change how help is given to Israelis and Israeli communities affected by the war. For P24, know-how is important, rather than donations.
P24 seeks to connect communities in Israel’s south and north with Jewish American communities to create tailor-made, self-empowering projects that offer mutual support, healing and strengthening. P24 uses what they call people’s “super powers,” skills, connections and knowledge to create these projects that address real-life events and the war itself.
On the morning of October 7, Israeli cyclists were planning a morning bike ride, only to be met instead with a horrific terror attack. The attack left some wounded by terrorist gunfire; others fought along with their community’s emergency units against hundreds of terrorists. And still others were forced to hide in safe rooms, clutching door handles for two harrowing days. Many lost family members, close friends and fellow riders.
A dozen Israeli cyclists from the Gaza envelope kibbutzim and moshavim participated in Sunday’s solidarity bike ride. They included seasoned cyclists and recreational cyclists, their ages ranging from the 30s to the 70s. This special delegation was hosted for a week, July 26-31, by a local Westchester group.
“Amazing hospitality from incredible community members who are dedicated to making us feel welcome and at home,” said Israeli Haim Medina, cyclist from Kibbutz Urim in the Gaza envelope. “We just returned from another fantastic ride, where we experienced the beauty of nature up close. It was a truly special and empowering experience. A heartfelt thank you to the host families and organizers like Gregg, Shira and Seth, who led the unforgettable ride. We appreciate everyone who came, listened and offered their support. And a big thank you to Project 24 for creating this incredible connection to the community.”
Larry Butler was the oldest rider in the group at age 73. He survived the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was severely affected. Butler told Mika Yesod, experience and engagement lead for P24 and point person for Sunday’s cycling event: “Where governments fail, the Jewish people succeed. We feel heartfelt hospitality, and people want to listen, want to help. It warms my heart and gives me hope. Those who survived the events of October 7 need this embrace.”
Gregg Bienstock, a Westchester resident and one of the coordinators of the bike ride, said: “I’m just happy to host, lead a ride and provide these great people with a beautiful experience to help in their healing—and to let them know there are a lot of people who care about them and all affected Israelis, despite the mainstream media’s fascination with violent and ugly protests. I am just a local who is helping out but, to me, P24 is doing incredible things. … While all Israelis have been impacted, P24 creates unique projects to provide meaningful experiences, like this cycling project.”
Sunday’s P24 project was designed to honor the resilience of these Israeli cyclists and to support their healing through their “super power” of cycling. Project 24 hopes that while coping with trauma, riding together again helped provide healing for both mind and body as new trails were explored, and fellow cyclists had the opportunity to gather together with members of local Jewish communities.
For more information, visit www.project24israel.org and https://run4lives.org/
