Riding as Renewal

The month of Elul, beginning with the new moon on August 25, is a time for self-reflection and preparation as we move toward Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays. In Jewish tradition, the very name Elul (א–ל–ו–ל) forms the acronym ani l’dodi v’dodi li, “I am for my beloved, and my beloved is mine.” It reminds us that reflection is not only personal but also rooted in connection and renewal within our communities.

For me, one of the places I most often experience this spirit is through Chai Cycle, the Jewish cycling community I founded. Chai Cycle weaves together riding, conversation, and Jewish learning, creating a unique way to connect with one another and with tradition out on the open road. Cycling has long been a passion of mine, and I’ve come to see how its rhythm mirrors the rhythms of Jewish life. Just as the wheel turns, so do our lives move through challenge, rest, and renewal.

When we ride together, the movement of the pedals creates space for conversation and reflection. The ride itself becomes a kind of moving meditation; helping us look back at where we’ve been and look forward with courage to where we’re going. That’s exactly what Elul asks of us: to take stock honestly, and to step into the new year with intention.

This message resonates deeply for me as I approach a milestone birthday. While it’s humbling to watch the years accumulate, it’s also a gift to reach this point with health and perspective. Our tradition teaches that each stage of life brings its own wisdom. On the road, I feel that truth in my body: each hill climbed, each mile logged, and each conversation shared reminds me that aging is not just about loss—it’s about growth, endurance, and belonging.

The Mishnah describes the stages of life: study, strength, wisdom, counsel, and beyond. Written in a time of short life expectancy, those milestones feel different today. With people living well into their eighties and nineties, sixty hardly feels like “old age.” Instead, our added years offer more time for reflection and joy. Communities like Chai Cycle remind us that renewal is possible at any stage, and that Jewish life flourishes when we show up for one another.

Elul also reminds us of the rhythms of time itself. Just as the moon begins anew each month, grows into fullness, and wanes again, so too do our lives. When I blow the shofar in San Ramon each morning of Elul, it is a call to wake up and prepare for renewal. On the bike, I hear the same call in every breath and every turn of the wheel: wake up to possibility, to change, to the life we are invited to create.

I take comfort during this season in remembering that our lives matter, that we are capable of change, and that we are not alone as we navigate transformation. Each of us finds our tools for reflection—whether prayer, journaling, meditation, or even cycling. However you choose to enter Elul, I encourage you to embrace it as an invitation to reflect, renew, and return.

And when renewal requires practical support, I am grateful to serve with Hebrew Free Loan, which helps people take the next steps in their lives with dignity and hope.

May this Elul be a time of comfort, growth, and awakening for all of us. May we step into the year ahead with courage, clarity, and hope—ready to ride forward into renewal.

~Rabbi Jamie