Riding for a fine cause in Melbourne's wintery streets

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Australia's Rabbi Ian Goodhardt - a more fitting surname would be hard to imagine - is one of the Malki Foundation's heroes.

With considerable pleasure, we have written here in past years (see "Cycling for Jerusalem - and for Israel's children with special needs" and "The Great Jerusalem Charity Bike Ride 2016: Mission accomplished") of his personal campaign to connect the joy of Jerusalem's reunification with charitable fund-raising for good causes.

His focus has been, as his personal webpage [here] explains

to aid research and support for those with Multiple Sclerosis and to aid Keren Malki, which supports children with special needs... Keren Malki was set up to perpetuate the memory of Malki Roth z"l who was murdered in Jerusalem in 2001. It is a non-political, non-sectarian, not-for-profit organization that honours the tragically short life of a girl dedicated to bringing happiness and support into the lives of special-needs children by supplying equipment and support for them. Please click here to find out more. Please click here to sponsor me and support Keren Malki.

This weekend, in the spirit of his past great and successful efforts, Rabbi Goodhardt will be riding his bike 51 kilometres to celebrate 51 years since the reunification of Jerusalem. On his MyCause page he explains:

As I have done in the past, I am dedicating the ride to the work of the Malki Foundation for children with disabilities in Israel... Please support me with this important cause - the money raised will help 5 children with disabilities receive much needed paramedical therapies for a whole year... All donations above $2 are tax deductible. Please give generously.

The weather forecast for this weekend in Melbourne, where winter is just getting underway, is not too bright [check it out here]. And that's just one of the challenges facing Rabbi Goodhardt's Great Jerusalem Charity Bike Ride.

But to judge from how well his efforts have gone in past years, there's going to be some distinct brightness emanating from Australia's south and reaching all the way to several homes in Israel where the generosity of his supporters will be doing some serious good.

We hope you will be among them. (Click here to contribute your donation.) Best of luck, Reb Ian!