We moved to Israel seven years ago to “live the dream” of a better life for ourselves and our children. And for six years, with fulfilling jobs and a wonderful community, our lives did indeed feel dreamlike.

And then the dream went dark.

It all started when the Doctor said: “It’s definitely cancer.”

My wife Stella was diagnosed with late stage stomach cancer last year. In fifteen months, we have faced chemo, operations, and more unpleasantness than I could ever have imagined. Yet Stella has never stopped smiling.

From her childhood in Ithaca,  New York to our college days at Colgate University to our first real community in Potomac, Maryland to our current home in Neve Daniel, Israel, Stella has touched the lives of thousands of people.

If you look up kindness in the dictionary, you will see Stella’s picture. If you look up modesty, there she is again. And if you look up compassion — once again it’s Stella. Just ask anyone who knows her and they will tell you that she is simply amazing. I basically won the lottery to have such a wife.

And so many of these people are now desperate to try and help Stella as she struggles with what feels like a non-stop fight against a deadly disease. People are demanding to “do something” to try and help. And of all those people, I am at the top of the list of those who just need to do something to try and help her.

Stella doesn’t like making trouble. She doesn’t speak badly of anyone. The only one she has an issue with is the Waze lady. (Sorry but Ms. Waze IS a better navigator.) She is always willing to back off to preserve peace. She offers an amazing smile to everyone she meets.

But that’s not me. Not even close.

I get mad. I get pissed off. Someone zings me, despite the best efforts of my Rav, I want to zing them back. And nothing has pissed me off more than the cancer that is attacking my wife.

So what can I do? If I could cure cancer, I would. But I don’t have enough time to go to medical school and spend decades in a lab trying to create a new drug.

I ride a bike. That’s what I do.

So now, I am going to ride a bike to raise money for Stella’s care and all the other cancer patients at Shaare Zedek. I have picked the most audacious route I can think of so I can hopefully raise the most amount of money to help.

The route is in blue

Around midnight on November 9, I will climb on my bike at Mount Hermon and then ride home. It’s 260KM and goes from the highest point in Israel to the lowest point in the world and then back up to the second highest spot in Israel. If you want to do something to help Stella, please consider clicking on this link to make a donation.

Besides the practical issue that the hospital will have more resources, there is a philosophical idea. In Judaism, it is believed that people giving to charity can reverse a terrible situation. And I’m no expert, but I doubt very much that this concept is unique to Judaism.

Even if everyone just gives a small amount, thousands of people giving in Stella’s name has to count for something, right?

I welcome all donations, no matter the size. Because I know that every single donation, every cent and every shekel, is someone reaching out to help Stella.

And we need all the help we can get right now.

So make a donation and please say a prayer for Stella. Doesn’t matter what language or what faith you are.

I need to move the Earth through prayers and charity from around the world.

I WILL NOT LET CANCER WIN.

And if I can do that, then riding 260 kilometers will be a piece of cake.

Thank you.

Yarden Frankl, Neve Daniel

After a particularly tough run or ride, it is highly recommended that you do what is called a “cool-down.” It means you jog around for about 10 minutes and try to let your body get over the torture you have just put it through.

I hate cool-downs. When I run, I like to hit the finish with nothing left in the tank. When I finish running, I want to crawl into a nice bowl of soup, close my eyes, and open my mouth. The last thing on Earth I want to do is continue running, even though it’s at a nice and “easy” pace. Heck, after a long run, driving can be hard, let alone running a bit more.

So Stella and I continue on our incredible journey and I’d say we have been in the “cool-down” phase. We have finished the really, really hard part, but still have to have scans and doctor’s appointments and so forth that we would just as well skip.

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On the seventh floor of Shaari Tzedek, as in any major hospital, is a room where cancer patients receiving chemo go for their treatments. Every day, it is filled with men and women who must sit while medicine that will make them feel horribly sick drips into their veins. Some come alone, while others are accompanied by those who love them. As the hours go by, they will feel sicker and sicker.

One cannot escape the understanding that for some in the room, the medicine will not be able to defeat the disease. That thought alone can make the room feel dark and oppressive. But incredibly, there are also many bright lights that shine in the midst of such darkness. Here are eight of them that I was fortunate enough to see:

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231 kilometers.

12 hours.

Over 90,000 shekels raised.

Over 1,000 people following on the blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Countless spirits raised.

What an awesome night.

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Yarden is on the road riding to raise money for families in Gush Etzion who are dealing with illnesses.

6:05PM – Rav Matanya Ben Shachar, rav of Neve Daniel, spoke briefly to inaugurate the ride. Yarden’s message to Stella was “I’ll let the riding speak for me.” He did one lap, came back to find Stella in the crowd, kissed her, and was off.

6:15PM – Yarden is off and riding.. He’s lapping the main roads in the yishuv with a few dozen kids in tow.

8:27PM - Yarden is leaving Neve Daniel now and heading into the Gush Eztion circuit of Alon Shevut / Rosh Tzurim / Efrat.

9:15PM - Yarden’s making a second lap into Efrat. The follow car (Josh & Avi) were pulled over by the cops for blocking traffic. They had an ishur (permit).

9:59PM - Yarden’s heading out of Alon Shevut, listening to AC/DC.

10:12PM - the follow car cracked open the popcorn.

10:40PM - We reached the 100km mark. Yarden’s changing his shirt and heading back up to Efrat on his fourth circuit in Gush Etzion.

11:00PM - David Bender (http://www.davebrianbender.com/) joined Yarden for the ride. Yarden is riding at a little over 22km/h. He’s wearing a black shirt (and a reflective vest, and has tons of lights on him).

11:16PM Latitude: 31° 39′ 3.58172”, Longitude: 35° 7′ 43.7543”, Speed: 9 m/s, Bearing: 172°, Altitude: 970.4 meters. Also, a course adjustment because Alon Shevut isn’t The City That Never Sleeps… they shut the gate.

11:32PM - Yarden’s finishing up his circuits in Gush Etzion. Stay tuned for a live video update: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/longingforthedawn

12:00AM - Heading into Yerushalayim. Reached the halfway mark for the ride. Stay tuned for a live video update: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/longingforthedawn

12:12AM - Video technical malfunction. Our crack team of experts is on the case… even though it’s past their bedtime.

12:21AM We are meeting up with the bet shemesh crew [Yarden's bike club from Beit Shemesh. Ed.]

12:45AM Midnight Madness!! Crazy awake Neve Daniel friends came out to greet Yarden and his biking crew on the road to Jerusalem. It’s a crystal clear night, cool and dry. Speed: 12 m/s
Bearing: 36°

12:55AM – Heading into the tunnels on 60 on the way to Jerusalem.

1:06AM – Just entered Jerusalem …should be at Kotel in 25 minutes or so.

1:29AM – Latitude: 31° 46′ 26.7244” Longitude: 35° 13′ 59.7021” Speed: 3 m/s Bearing: 70° – In the Old City of Jerusalem.
2:12AM – Latitude: 31° 43′ 50.5409” Longitude: 35° 12′ 19.9625” Speed: 10 m/s Bearing: 199° – heading down Derech Chevron to Kever Rachel.

2:17AM – Heading back to the Gush.

3:10AM – Back in Efrat.