“Jews don’t ride motorcycles.” At least that’s what my Bubbe would say. Well, my Bubbe was right on almost everything, except when it came to motorcycling.

Jews do ride motorcycles. In fact, they ride all kinds of bikes, from scooters to Harleys and everything in between. I know because I’m a member of a Chicago Jewish motorcycle club called Spirits of the Wind and I’ve been riding for over
45 years.

Spirits of the Wind is a club under the umbrella organization, Jewish Motorcycle Alliance (JMA). The JMA, with approximately 4,000 members worldwide, is an international organization of Jewish motorcyclists with clubs throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and of course Israel. Some of the names of the clubs play off our Jewish theme: There’s Hillel’s Angels, Shalom & Chrome, King David Riders of South Florida, and Chaiway Riders, which is a Chicago-based Jewish motorcycle touring club.

Every year JMA members get together in a different city throughout the United States to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day at a rally called “The Ride to Remember” (R2R). There, we donate to a local institution that funds Holocaust education programs, honor the memory of the Holocaust victims, and promote religious tolerance. In 2010, the Ride to Remember was held in Chicago and benefited the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Four hundred bikers flocked from all over the world to gather for the ride from Skokie to Chicago, all led by a police escort.

Locally, every Sunday morning, The Spirits get together in the suburbs to eat, talk, and ride, and then eat again—notice the emphasis on the eating. Most of the breakfast conversation is centered on where to have lunch. The rest of the conversation focuses on the latest bling for our bikes or planned summer trips.

Our membership, consisting of men and women of all ages, focuses on recruiting riders that have excellent riding skills, commits to rider education, and believes in the philosophy of using basic safety gear when riding. Our members’ riding styles vary from riding either solo or with a passenger, spending a couple of hours in the saddle, or even traveling for two months on the road visiting all of the lower 48 states. We also maintain a database of members willing to open up their homes to fellow Jewish motorcycle travelers passing through on a motorcycle adventure.

I’ve been involved in a number of motorcycle clubs and believe there’s something special about being able to ride and socialize with other Jewish riders. There is nothing better than riding into a city or town, making a connection with another Jewish biker, and having that connection grow into a friend for life. The diaspora is alive and well in the Jewish motorcycling community, but we are slowly closing the loop as we travel on two wheels to everyone’s hometown.

For more information on The Spirits of the Wind, e-mail Steven Goode at [email protected].

Steven Goode, who lives in Deerfield. worked in commercial real estate for 35 years.