Full Breakdown
Be’eri Bike Park Opens as Symbol of Community Recovery
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Kibbutz Be’eri inaugurated a new cycling facility this week, more than three years after the October 7 Hamas massacre. Funded by philanthropist Sylvan Adams in partnership with the Israel Cycling Academy, the park features a pump track built by Swiss firm Velosolutions and is aimed primarily at children and young people from Be’eri and neighboring Western Negev communities. The venue is slated to host the Israeli Pump Track Championships and Israel’s first Pump Track World Championship qualifier.
Background & Context
The October 7 attack left the kibbutz heavily damaged; most residents remain displaced, living temporarily in nearby Hatzerim while more than 130 damaged or destroyed homes are being rebuilt. Fourteen local cyclists and triathletes were killed on that day, many while riding on regional roads and trails. The bike park is presented as a concrete step toward restoring everyday life in the Western Negev.
Key Figures & Groups
- Sylvan Adams – philanthropist and former professional cyclist, sponsor of the park.
- Aya Meidan – Be’eri resident who survived the October 7 ambush; hosted the inauguration.
- Avida Bachar – resident who lost his wife and son in the attack and was critically injured; spoke about rehabilitation and rebuilding.
- Rami Gold – veteran trail builder commissioned to prepare plans for the proposed off-road cycling center.
Official Statements & Responses
Bachar described his personal rehabilitation and echoed the vision of rebuilding Be’eri “better, more beautiful and stronger,” noting that the park marks progress toward that goal. Adams said the facility demonstrates the community’s resilience, that “they cannot break us,” and outlined a broader plan to develop Be’eri as a regional cycling hub, including a future off-road center.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We received far more than a cycling track. This is a path toward recovery and a future,” — Aya Meidan, be’eri resident
- “We spoke about rebuilding Be’eri and the entire Western Negev,” — Avida Bachar, be’eri resident
- “Sylvan told us: ‘Of course we will rebuild everything. We will build it back better, more beautiful and stronger.’ Now, seeing that vision become reality, all I can say is thank you.” — Sylvan Adams
- “That was the moment I understood that we had to help Be’eri, a community that has always had cycling at its heart, open a new chapter,” — Sylvan Adams
- “This wonderful facility shows that we are strong, that they cannot break us and that we are here to stay. The park belongs to Be’eri, to the children of the neighboring communities and to the entire Western Negev.” — Sylvan Adams
