Another Amazing Jerusalem Motorcycle Event

Two years ago, I was introduced to the world of motorcycles when my husband Jay purchased a Harley-Davidson. I had heard about them but wouldn’t recognize one if it ran me over. After 20 years of riding Harleys in the States, I knew he would never be truly happy unless he mounted one again. So we took the plunge and bought our Harley.

After spending the last ten years organizing music festivals, I was ready for the challenge. I decided to organize a Biker event in Jerusalem in collaboration with Israel’s largest motorcycle club, The Bandidos. My first call was to my good friend Hillel Farkash, advisor to the Mayor on youth and culture in Jerusalem. Hillel, being an incredibly creative thinker, suggested holding it in Cinema City with all of the excitement of seeing the bikes ride into the main hall to the delight of onlookers.

flier of event taking place on Darom Street next to Ben Hillel

It was indeed an exciting event, yet I felt something was missing. I wanted bikers from all over Israel to get to know the “Real Jerusalem,” which for me is downtown, off Ben Yehuda and specifically Darom Street, where my favorite bar, Blaze, is located, across from the better-known bar The Dublin. Partnering with both of these bars was my dream, knowing that if Bikers came to that area, all of the surrounding businesses would benefit as well. I was also excited about partnering with The Bandidos again in addition to the Sky Riders motorcycle club, the Sderot Riders and other smaller motorcycle organizations.

Well, little did I know that organizing an outside event in Jerusalem would be so complicated and yes, daunting, in addition to terribly expensive. I naively thought that I could pull it off with no finances and only ask the city to avoid giving the bikers tickets. How wrong I was!!! “Pulling off” this event with all of the permits needed from the city event departments, the police, MDA, you name it!!! As challenging as that was, it turned out to be the smaller issue. I soon found out I needed insurance for the event to the tune of 11,000 shekels, and as if that wasn’t enough, I needed an engineer to plan out the parking space for the bikes, adding another 3,500 sh to the bill.

I realized there was no way I could do it and cancelled the event. Then, a few hours before Yom Kippur, a biker friend messaged me to call him. The conversation went something like this: “Trace, is it the money that is stopping this from happening? If you had it, could you push on the gas pedal again and make it work?” ” Yep! That is the issue!” I replied. The answer came quickly-” You got it! I’ll cover it. This needs to happen.”

So here we are less than a week before the event, closing corners, spending thousands of shekels, and praying the world can give us a little peace for the next few days so as not to interfere with our plans.

Similar to last year’s event, we expect over 80 motorcycles (maybe more) from all over the country displaying their beautiful bikes on the sidewalk of Hillel st under the Prima Hotel. In front of the Dublin bar will be a small fair of Art and biker-related things for sale. Live music will be performed inside the Blaze bar featuring “CoverTale”, Israel’s most prominent Led Zeppelin band, along with the new band “Stone” with some of Jerusalem’s most talented musicians. The music will begin at 7 pm and extend through the end of the event at 11pm. What I can say is that one of the most exciting aspects of the event will be that downtown Jerusalem will be covered in bikers, introducing Jerusalemites to the world of motorcycles. As amazing as this will be, the most exciting aspect will be the honor of showcasing Custom Angels, an organization formed to help children who are being bullied in Israel. Here’s a bit of background.

Custom Angels was inspired by an organization founded in the U.S. that has since spread all over the world, yet not to Israel: B.A.C.A. Bikers Against Child Abuse. I first heard about B.A.C.A. when I met my husband Jay, who shared with me his 12-year involvement in the organization. Jay heard about B.A.C.A. while living in Missouri and found the idea fascinating. He entered the club, became their P.R. guy, and later went on to become the president of his chapter. These incredible bikers hear about a child who has been abused and approach the family offering support. Many of these families suffer from threats over testifying against the violators in court. The B.A.C.A. bikers begin by showing up to the home of the child with a teddy bear as a gift from the club. As the child gets to know them there is no way to describe their excitement in seeing these bikers show up at their home. Before the trial, two bikers are placed as security around the home to make sure the family is protected from threats. The day of the court date, they sit with the family with their backs to the perpetrators. This has prevented thousands of families from receiving the wrath of these horrible people.

Inspired by B.A.C.A., Custom Angels began. The purpose of this Biker Group is to battle one of the most prominent issues in Israel – bullying, something that the founders, Martin Sabag and Matias Kerszenblat, suffered from when they made Aliyah as children from S. America. Our event will showcase this important organization. This group of Harley bikers travels around the country supporting kids dealing with bullying. When Custom Angels finds out about a child in need, they contact the parents and tell them about the organization to get permission to approach the child. They use their “Harley” look to intimidate the perpetrators – I know, a strong word to use in regard to other kids, but an appropriate one. They show up to their school in droves to pick up the child on their bikes, with their vests, tattoos, and chains showing the bullies that they do not want to continue bullying this child. When often these children have birthday parties where no one from class will come, the bikers throw them a party that dreams are made of. Custom Angels also work in prevention. They go into classrooms sharing stories of their own dealings with bullying as youngsters, and how painful it was and how long-lasting. Martin Sabag, one of the founders of Custom Angels, will be at the event in front of Dublin Bar with a table of information, sharing stories about their encounters and success on the ground. Behind him will be a screen displaying YouTube videos of their work with the kids. I wanted this event to be a fundraiser for them, but considering all of my expenses, I told him I didn’t think I would have anything to contribute. In true “Martin” form, he wrote me, “All we want is for parents from all over Israel to know we exist!”

All the way around, this event will be something to remember. Come and experience it with us!