Biking Through Europe in Solidarity with the Jewish People

Victor Mooney, 59, is no stranger to extreme challenges.

Years ago, he set out to row across the Atlantic in honor of his brother. After three failed attempts, he begged his wife for one last chance. She reluctantly agreed—with a warning: “Don’t ask me again.”

Midway through the Caribbean, a shark rammed his boat. His first thought? His wife’s words. But Victor lives by a mantra: When G-d says no—keep praying. So he did.

As the shark circled and slammed the hull, Victor naively thought, Maybe he’s being friendly. Later, in Miami, a Cuban fisherman told him the chilling truth: the shark had been testing the boat before going in for the kill—a predator known for devouring wooden vessels.

“It took a bite, then left,” Victor said. “And I had to deal with the aftermath.”

Victor getting ready to set sail.

With water pouring in and 80 pounds lost to the journey, he somehow managed to patch the boat and press on.

Victor made it. He crossed the Atlantic.

When he finally walked through his front door, his wife greeted him with a mop. “The washing machine’s broken,” she said. So much for rest.

His Next Adventure

Victor is now embarking on his next adventure, a bike-ride across Europe in solidarity with Jews around the world on the “We Remember Pilgrimage.”

Victor, a devout Roman Catholic, grew up learning from his parents that Jews were good people. “They told me that if ever I was in trouble, I could always reach out to a Jew and they would help me. They told me a Jew would have compassion.”

Mooney appreciates the strong solidarity and similar struggles that his African American community and Jewish people have had for years.

“Blacks had to hide in swamps from plantation owners, and Jews have had to live in forests, hide in snow, and even under other dead bodies to escape from Nazis.”

It is for this reason that Victor plans to sleep in the wilderness and live in nature during his bike tour.

“It will be hard, but no journey worth traveling is ever easy. If my ancestors were able to go through what they went through and the Jewish people had to run and hide the way they did, then I certainly can, too. While peddling, I will be thinking about my ancestors and about the Jewish people. Every pedal will be a stroke of solidarity.”

Victor will be carrying two large stones on his bike ride.

On June 7th, he will stop in Auschwitz and say a prayer for Jews worldwide.

Right now, more than ever, we have to stand strong, raise our voices, and wear white and blue to counteract the antisemitism taking place.

“I plan to deposit one stone on the burial ground of Auschwitz. With simplicity and love.” He will be bringing the rock because both Jews and African Americans have had to carry the burden of hatred.

The second stone will be placed at Majdanek, where his bike ride will end.

“I know the tears will come, and crying is healthy. I don’t know what the prayer will be yet, but I will just allow my thoughts to take me where they are supposed to go.

“Right now, more than ever, we have to stand strong, raise our voices, and wear white and blue to counteract the antisemitism taking place,” Victor says, proud of his support.

Victor remembers a time when if a policeman was standing outside a church or synagogue, it was because there was a VIP inside. “Now, it’s because we have to protect those who worship from those who hate.”

Victor, who has been training for months, is prepared to ride 16 hours a day, for several weeks, and will begin his rides each morning at 2:00 a.m.

In order to complete his itinerary, he plans to ride 80-100 miles a day. He will bring along two holy Christian books, as well as Night, the memoir written by Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel. He plans to read from it at the concentration camps.

When everyone else chooses silence, I want to speak out. It’s the right thing to do!

“This is my small way of bringing awareness of the horrific antisemitism that is taking place worldwide. It must stop. When everyone else chooses silence, I want to speak out. It’s the right thing to do!”

While Victor has been getting positive feedback for his goal to stand with Israel and Jews worldwide, he has also received a lot of hate. “At a certain point, I have to ignore the negativity. Not everyone is going to be on your side, but I am doing this because this is what’s in my heart and it’s the right thing to do. I’m honored that at my age, I can do it. I think, though, this will be my last bike ride.”

Victor Mooney is a man who fulfills his commitments, no matter the personal cost. This journey, he hopes, will inspire action against antisemitism, encourage religious tolerance, and foster more interfaith dialogue. #WeRememberNow.

To learn more visit http://werememberchallenge.com/

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