“You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (Hallel, Psalm 116:8-9). As I said these words on Yom Ha’Atzmaut in Tel Aviv on the 61st anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel — and at the beginning of the longest bicycle ride I have ever done — I realized how literally they applied to me.

Two months ago, I had begun to ride my bicycle again after a six-week hiatus, owing to treatment of my larynx for cancer. I had been literally speechless since the middle of January, able to communicate only in gestures and whispers, and here I was in the middle of Tel Aviv about to embark on the ride of a lifetime. How did it happen? I resolved that if and when I recovered, I would do this ride, to prove to myself that life on the bicycle has not come to end. In addition, I wanted to see whether I could do it on a folding bike (Brompton) that fits in a suitcase. That is how I came to participate in Israel Ride, sponsored by Hazon and the Arava Institute.

All I wanted to do was give a donation to the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry (NACOEJ) while I was in Israel. But from that simple desire came one of the high points of my recent trip.

Before I left for Israel to attend February’s Rabbinical Assembly convention in Jerusalem, several members of my congregation gave me tzedakah to distribute there. One of my favorite organizations is NACOEJ. I knew of their work with Ethiopian Jews in Addis Ababa who were waiting to leave for Israel, and of their continuing efforts to help these Jews integrate into Israel society.

We often see news accounts of joggers/walkers who were struck and injured by moving vehicles. Jogging and walking is supposed to be a healthy activity, but it can be much more hazardous than a pulled muscle or sore feet. Anytime you mix pedestrians and vehicles together, there is an inherent risk.

In 2008, 39 persons were injured involving pedestrian/vehicle accidents in Teaneck and luckily, no fatalities were reported. In 2007, 42 pedestrians were injured with one fatality. In these incidents, the majority occurred at intersections. In 2005, a jogger was struck and killed by a hit and run driver while running on Queen Anne Rd. in the early morning hours. An intense investigation was conducted and the driver was later identified and charged with a crime.

Emotion ran high at the Sinai Schools annual benefit dinner on Feb. 8. Not only did the special-needs day school celebrate its many achievements, but the evening saw the debut of a song representing the experience of its parent body.

With music by parent C Lanzbom (who performed it with his group, Fools for April) and Dov Rosenblatt — and lyrics by Sam Fishman, parent of an alumnus and the school’s consulting managing director — “‘The Arms of Sinai’ expressed my feelings as a Sinai parent and sentiments I hear expressed every day from other parents,” said Fishman.

NEW YORK (JTA) – A few months ago, an e-mail message began circulating among religious scholars: “Film studio looking for someone to teach non-Jewish 13-year-old actor a haftorah portion for Todd Solondz movie bar mitzvah scene.”

With the holiday season upon us, it is important to remember that people become careless and vulnerable to thefts and other holiday scams. A few simple suggestions and some common sense awareness can help make the season happy and trouble free. Remember to:

Canadian-born lecturer Doron Kornbluth has been speaking to Jewish groups for more than 10 years, telling parents how they can keep their families Jewish. The author of “Why Marry Jewish,” Kornbluth will visit Valley Chabad on Nov. 12 to speak on the topic of his latest book, “Raising Kids to Love Being Jewish.”

“I grew up playing with dreidels at Chanukah parties,” said Jennifer Rivlin Roberts, “and my husband Webb and I love to play poker.”

It is no surprise, then, that, during a six-hour drive home from a family visit in 2005, the Atlanta couple conceived a way to “make dreidels more fun” by combining the two games.