We come from around the country and from around the world. We’re intimidating-looking men and women dressed in leathers, chaps, doo-rags, and of course, our cuts. We come on two and three wheels with the wind in our face. Who are we? We are the JMA – the Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance.
We are 50+ clubs and almost 1,000 members strong with such daunting names as the Mazel Tuffs, Chai-Way Riders, Hillel’s Angels, The King David Bikers, the Mountain Menschen, Shalom and Chrome, The Wandering Twos and the Lonsmen. Motorcyclists in general have a special comradery that is often hard for non-riders to understand. But add to that formula a common heritage and a common cause, and that bond becomes significantly stronger. It’s something truly special. That’s why we have formed a Wisconsin chapter and are looking for new members dedicated to the sport of motorcycling and having fun! Sharing our heritage together and forming new friendships is the forefront of our club. And no, a Jewish motorcyclist is not an oxymoron.
But in addition to that, we will be JMA members because besides the feeling of the open road, the wind in our hair (and yes, sometimes bugs in our teeth), the love of being on two wheels, and riding with other Jews (and non-Jews), there’s yet another reason to join – the Ride to Remember. Every year since 2005, JMA members have hailed from Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Charlotte, Atlanta, San Diego, Phoenix, Toronto, Montreal – and even as far as Melbourne, Australia and Israel, just to name a few. We gather each year in one place and raise money for Holocaust awareness and education. We’ve done it for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., for the middle school in Whitwell, Tenn., that is famous for their paperclip project (twice) – the last time was to help them build a permanent structure to house their Holocaust museum, which currently resides in a rail car that actually transported our people to the camps. The rail car was brought over to Whitwell from Germany and currently houses their museum. We raised money for the Sondra Bornstein Holocaust center in Providence, R.I. which the Lonsmen Boston Chapter hosted in 2017; the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Center in Oswego, N.Y.; and the Maltz Museum in Cleveland, hosted by that local club, the Schul Boys, where we raised over $80,000. There were many others. Last year at the Ride to Remember, we raised over $50,000 for Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center in Milwaukee.
We ride every year to do our part to make sure the world never forgets. We meet and talk with Holocaust survivors while they are still around to tell their story firsthand – we hear their stories and get furious all over again about the unconscionable atrocities that were committed on our people – and also many others not of our tribe. We ride – to make sure the world never forgets.
But besides the annual Ride to Remember, member clubs organize “Meet and Greets” to get together during the year. Sometimes it’s just to ride and spend time together. Other times it’s to show support. In August 2019, a number of clubs joined the Mazel Tuffs of Pittsburgh to participate in a program with the Tree of Life Synagogue to show our support for the congregants in the aftermath of the senseless shootings that occurred there the previous October. We will always be there for our fellow lonsmen. To be able to combine the love of motorcycling with our Jewish heritage, promoting Jewish values and Jewish pride is something quite unique and immensely gratifying. And yes, there is a satisfaction in being a part of a thunderous, intimidating group of bikers rolling down the road – knowing that we’re all lonsmen and that we’re helping to make sure that the world never forgets. Unfortunately, this is needed now more than ever.
If you ride or know of anyone who rides and, like me, enjoys eating, schmoozing and riding (not necessarily in that order) – please get the word out, we’d love to have you join us!