Ride With Us.
Ride For Them.
From Darkness to Light
Ride for the Living — Celebrating Jewish Life in Poland
Powered by JCC Krakow
Learn About Ride For The Living 2027
Join us for an information session to learn more about this unforgettable experience and how your participation supports Jewish life in both Krakow and Ottawa.
Information Session
Monday, November 23, 2026
7:00 PM
Hear from the Executive Director of the Krakow JCC and learn more about this unique experience, its impact, and what participants can expect.
Register here.
Mark Your Calendars
12th Annual Ride For The Living
June 23-27, 2027 | Krakow, Poland
Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or simply looking to take part in a meaningful event, there’s an option for everyone:
- 96 km Ride
- 22 km Route
- 5K Walk For The Living
Bring your friends, family, or community group, or come on your own and make new connections.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Beutel at sbeutel@jccottawa.com
Ride For The Living (RFTL), is an immersive and inspiring educational, social, and spiritual fitness experience. This annual commemorative 4-day event takes place in Krakow, Poland and boasts a full schedule of activities including a 60-mile bike ride. Not a biker? No worries! There participate instead in an equally meaningful 3-mile walk. The experience is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level.
Your Support Helps Jewish Communities in Both Krakow and Ottawa
In addition to supporting the JCC Krakow, your participation also sustains the Soloway Jewish Community Centre’s Judaic mission here in Ottawa. Funds raised for the SJCC will support programs such as Ganon Preschool, Hakibbutz for Hebrew speaking youth, Jewish cultural programs and events— all of which play a vital role in strengthening our Jewish future. Your generosity ensures that the SJCC continues to be a welcoming place where people of all ages can learn, connect, and celebrate Jewish life together.
The 4-day event includes:
- Privately guided tours of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Krakow
- Poland’s largest annual Shabbat dinner
- An inspiring one-day, 60-mile (97 km) bike ride from Auschwitz-Birkenau to JCC Krakow
- For non-bikers, an equally inspiring 3-mile walk from the former Płaszów Concentration Camp to JCC Krakow
Ride For The Living (RFTL) was first held in 2014, and provides participants a chance to immerse themselves in Krakow’s Jewish past and present while generating support to help build Krakow’s Jewish future. The event raises funds so that JCC Krakow can provide a full range of services including support and programs for 56 Holocaust survivors, a preschool, cultural programming for their community, aid the 450,000 Ukrainian refugees, and more. All of this is made possible by money raised by RFTL participants.
