Protests against the war in Gaza are often dismissed as antisemitic. As a Jewish anti-war advocate, Bob Sanders thinks the opposite: that the killing of Palestinians must be stopped.

“It’s not the same scale, and it’s not as methodical,” Sanders said, “but this is what the Nazis used to do.”

Sanders, 69, of Concord, started a group called ‘Not in My Name’ to connect with other Jewish people against the war, and 86 people signed a letter calling for a ceasefire. The members’ ideologies aren’t monolithic.

“We have Zionists, we have anti-Zionists,” Sanders said. “This is what I love about the group.”

Now, Sanders is taking a new approach to protesting the Israeli offensive: biking across the northeast.

On Monday morning, Sanders left for a 700-mile, 16-day journey that will take him through major cities in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, all with a sign reading, “RIDE AGAINST WAR IN GAZA” pinned to the back of his shirt.

“Some people are worried that I’m putting a target on my back,” he said. “My answer to that is usually, ‘By the time anyone realizes what it says, they’ve passed me.’ ”

Sanders is no stranger to activism. In high school, he protested the war in Vietnam and published alternative newspapers. When the school said his paper, “Ragweed,” was too obscene to publish, he got the ACLU to take them to court and won.

He’s no stranger to cycling, either – when he was 20, he rode across the country from coast to coast. He may do it again next year, especially if the war is still raging.

After his early days as an activist, he pivoted to journalism. He sought to make a bigger impact with a bigger platform, and landed himself a 40-year career as a reporter. Last year, he retired. “Now I can let out my true feelings again,” he said.

Sanders doesn’t align with the pro-Palestine or pro-Israel movements. “I’m pro-peace,” he said. His concern has little to do with nationalism. He’s worried about the people.

“It’s heartbreaking what Israel is doing,” he said. “And they’re saying it’s in defense of the Jewish people, for what happened on October 7th… but they killed 37,000 people to avenge 1,200.

“Even if Israel isn’t as bad as Hamas in terms of their intentions, it doesn’t matter,” he continued. “They have so much more power. They can do so much more damage.”

Sanders’ bike protest came about organically. He was already planning a bike tour to visit friends, and about two weeks before his start date, he thought, “Why not make this for a cause?” He tweaked his route to pass through the state capitals, which he hoped would generate more attention.

He sent press releases to local newspapers, found support from various organizations like Jewish Voices for Peace, and was sent off by other advocates with a bagel breakfast outside the State House in Concord, where he will also complete his ride.

With record-high temperatures scorching the East Coast this week, he will be in for a demanding ride. But luckily, he’ll have help from both the biking and activist communities. He has a place to stay almost every night, either with a friend, a fellow anti-war protestor, or a stranger offering to host him. Plus, he plans to bike mostly in the mornings to avoid the heat.

Sanders invites anyone to bike alongside him on his journey. But for now, it’s just him, a water bottle, and his two wheels as he rides through the steaming northeast, pleading for peace.

Sofie Buckminster can be reached at sbuckminster@cmonitor.com.