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16 December 10 • 2015 Let the take care of you. With great rates, an even better staff, and the speediest buses in the business, trust Qwik Park to get you to the airport Qwik as a flash. Save time. Reserve online! qwikpark.com Exit 198 from I-94 Exit 20 from I-275 TZLNSDUNFRP 7782 Merriman Rd., Romulus, MI MERRIMAN RD MIDDLEBELT RD SMITH RD DTW 94 E W N S 94 2002930 W e stood atop Israel's tall- est peak, Mount Hermon, at a heavily fortified stra- tegic Israeli Army base that overlooks Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and the hills of war-torn Syria — among the first tourists to ever visit this spot. Some 40 of us felt deeply privileged to be there, not only because we were getting a rare look at the "eye of the country," but also because of how we got there. I was part of the first Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) cycling tour of Israel, "Israel on Two Wheels," a recent six-day whirlwind trek from Israel's north- ern tip to its southernmost area. We tra- versed some 400 miles and 32,000 vertical feet, including cycling along four seas: the Mediterranean, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. The trip, to bring FIDF supporters closer to the Jewish state and to the brave men and women who protect it, achieved that goal and far, far more. Powered by our bicycles, coming from various home states across the U.S., our group expe- rienced Israel from our handlebars and bonded with the impressive young sol- diers of the IDF. We were also powerfully inspired to be joined by wounded IDF veterans, amputees who are involved in challenging sports and who will stop at nothing to live normal lives and to even compete athletically. ISRAEL'S VARIED TERRAIN On the first day, our route took us from Kibbutz Eilon, near the Mediterranean coast in Israel's northwestern Galilee, to Kibbutz Kfar Giladi in the western Galilee, along the Lebanese border — a climb of more than 6,500 feet and 45 total miles. A heavy winter rainstorm hit us, and we slogged through wind gusts of 40-50 miles per hour. We were buoyed by the pres- ence of the wounded veterans who cycled alongside us, not even flinching at the challenges. Many of us agreed that if we could do this part, we could do anything. And we did. The second day, we headed to Mount Hermon, a 30-mile vertical climb with grades approaching nearly 18 percent at times. The Mitzpe Shlagim (Snow Lookout) military base was inac- cessible by bike, so our bus ferried us the last leg. From that point, we understood why this base with its views of two critical fronts — and the scene of brutal battles in the 1973 Yom Kippur War — remains so critical, not just to the area but to the whole country. That afternoon, we crossed the volcanic Golan Heights along the Syrian border and reached Kibbutz Kinneret on the southwest side of the Sea of Galilee. We had covered 77 miles. The next day we rode south through the Jordan Valley to Bet She'an to a national park with springs, palm trees, pools and green lawns. Then our bus carried us south to the lowest point on Earth — the Dead Sea, 1,200 feet below sea level. From there, on the fourth day, we made the challenging trek (with a 3,000-foot vertical climb) up the Judean Hills to the Negev Desert highlands and Kibbutz Mashabeh Sadeh, biking 65 miles altogether. Each moment of every day, we all grew increasingly inspired, not just by Israel's natural beauty and dramatically changing topography, but also by the fact that the wounded warriors among us, men who had lost limbs defending Israel in war- time, not only kept pace but also set it. We all quickly developed friendships, for we all endured and overcame chal- lenges together — just like a soldier bonds with his squad in the army. (Born in Israel, I, too, served in the IDF). Ironically, while we were cycling across Israel amid a new wave of terrorism, we had no armed guards with us, but at no time did we feel any fear, tension or threats. On our fifth day, we visited the gravesite of Israel's first prime minister and leader, David Ben-Gurion, climbed to Ramon IDF Air Force Base and, as we approached, F-16s returning from training flew right overhead, bringing us a special escort. We finished the day climbing to Mitzpeh Ramon. On the sixth day, we covered 105 miles as we headed from the higher elevations of the desert south to a Red Sea resort in Eilat, along the Egyptian border. On our final descent, from the brown desert we saw the blue waters of the Red Sea, and we knew we'd reached the culmination of a lifetime experience. We finished our journey with the strong sense that we Jews can look to an amazing place called Israel, whose men and women are doing the job every day of protecting it, not only for Israel's citizens, but for the entire Jewish people. * Dany Saar led the Friends of the IDF "Israel on Two Wheels" cycling tour. Dany lives in West Bloomfield and is a former officer in the Israeli Air Force. See page 20 for more on the FIDF annual dinner. 'Israel On Two Wheels' FIDF's first cycling tour brings challenges and mutual admiration. metro » Dany Saar | Special to the Jewish News Some 40 riders were constantly on the go during the FIDF's first cycling tour of Israel. Former Israeli Air Force officer Dany Saar of West Bloomfield led the cycling tour. Photos by Different View Photography