Jason Kaufman, student cantor at Temple Beth Miriam in Elberon, will take part in Riding4Reform, a 300-mile bike ride in Israel that raises funds to promote progressive Jewish ideals in the Jewish state. Photo courtesy Jason Kaufman
February 19, 2008
A student cantor in Elberon will embark on a 300-mile bike ride in Israel next month to raise funds for the Reform movement in Israel.
Jason Kaufman of Temple Beth Miriam in Elberon will be among the cyclists in the five-day Riding4Reform, which kicks off March 23.
This is the second year that Kaufman, 26, has taken part in Riding4Reform. He cycled last year along a 300-mile route than ran from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and ended in Haifa in the North. This year’s route will begin in Tel Aviv, and will then head south to the Negev along parts of the ancient Nabatean spice route. The ride will end in Eilat.
“Biking enables you to see a totally different side of Israel,” Kaufman said. “You see the topography and landscape in a natural setting. There is beauty all around, and it’s magnificent.”
Riding4Reform raises funds for social, educational, cultural, and community programs run by the different institutions, congregations, and departments of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, affiliated with the Reform movement.
Each rider is committed to raising a minimum of $2,000 in sponsorships. Last year, Kaufman raised $2,500, a figure he hopes to surpass this year.
Kaufman, who grew up in Monsey, NY, is a 2004 graduate of SUNY Fredonia, where he majored in voice. (He also plays the flute.) He then entered the School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Students spend the first year of the five-year program at its Jerusalem campus. He has two more years to go.
As part of the school’s internship program, Kaufman has served as student cantor at several synagogues, including one in San Francisco during the High Holy Days two years ago. This summer, he will work at an Australian synagogue.
“One of the joys of being a cantor is to be part of a synagogue for many years,” Kaufman said. “But before that happens, it’s so important to see different synagogues in different places. It’s a learning experience that has broadened my understanding of the cantor’s role in Jewish life.”
Kaufman originally wanted to be a music teacher, but a trip to Israel with Taglit-Birthright Israel convinced him that he wanted to do something with and for the Jewish people. Becoming a cantorial student was the right decision for him, he said.
“The more I learn makes me even more sure that I made the right choice,” said Kaufman. “The first time I led Kol Nidrei was an intense experience, but I felt something special happen. It was a deeply spiritual experience that confirmed everything I felt about becoming a cantor.”
Kaufman regards the cantor as a clergy partner who can provide pastoral care, Jewish education, and community service.
“It’s a real challenge, because every synagogue has its own definition of a cantor’s role,” he said. “But I’ve learned that cantors can always bring their own strengths and talents with them.”
His internship at Beth Miriam has been an enlightening experience, he said. The temple has programs that are varied and are based on the needs of the congregation and the community, he added.
“I am deeply passionate to issues regarding Israel as a whole and the aspirations, struggles, and successes of the Israeli Reform movement,” he said.
Kaufman knows he won’t be the first to cross the Riding4Reform finish line. But he will complete the journey, he said.
“As I peddle through the Israeli desert far, far behind the rest of the group, wondering why I hadn’t trained more for this adventure, or wishing that I had splurged for that larger bottle of water, I know that the generosity of the sponsors will push me to the finish line,” Kaufman said.
Information about Riding4Reform and sponsorship opportunities can be obtained by calling Temple Beth Miriam at 732-222-3754.
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