Just ahead of the Chanukah holiday, more than 400 North American young Jewish leaders participated in ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran’s third “Race for Inclusion,” a celebration of ability at every level.
Running a tight 2.5K course around the 40-acre rehabilitation village, gap-year and college students raised more than $23,000 on Dec. 24 to provide much-needed post-trauma treatments for the most vulnerable members of Israeli society and help heal the Negev’s war-wounded civilians and soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.
As the race began, participants from Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alternative Winter Break and Israel Volunteer Missions led the pack along a fully accessible track that encircled ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran. Following close behind were gap-year students studying at Israeli yeshivahs and seminaries, including Tiferet, Torah Tech, Mechinat Ruach HaNegev, Yeshivat Ashreinu and Amudim, as well as a MEOR contingent from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Dozens of ADI residents, special-education students and rehabilitation patients met the throngs of runners at the finish line to complete the race side by side in the spirit of inclusion, acceptance and hope.
“On October 7, 2023, the intersection of Route 241 just outside the gates of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran saw sadistic violence, unfathomable inhumanity and abundant agony. Some 445 days later, it’s thrilling to see hundreds of passionate young leaders putting their love, empathy, altruism and Jewish pride on full display, and reclaiming the Negev as a region of resilience and renewal,” said Elie Klein, ADI’s North American director of advancement.
“It’s one thing to talk about core Jewish values and promoting true inclusion, but it’s another to take action and live that elevated lifestyle. This magical annual event allows us to demonstrate how promoting ability at every level makes us stronger as a society and helps us shine the light of humanity during our darkest times,” he said.
At the conclusion of the race, the runners gathered in the village’s amphitheater for a celebration featuring food, live music and a medal ceremony for the top three finishers.
Second-place finisher Aaron Drasnin, a native of San Diego and a JNF-USA Alternative Winter Break participant studying at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said the event “helped him fall in love with the people and land of Israel.”
“Before coming on this mission, I felt a connection to the people of Israel—my fellow Jews—but never to the land of Israel,” said Drasnin. “This is my first time visiting southern Israel, and this experience brought everything into focus for me. The land of Israel is as beautiful as the diverse populations who live here, and I finally see the full picture.”
Ilan Moskowitz, a student at Torah Tech and one of the dozens of tristate residents who participated, said his sister with disabilities inspired him to run one of the event’s most impressive fundraising campaigns.
“As the sibling of someone with multiple disabilities, it was very important to me to raise awareness for disability inclusion and make a real difference in the lives of the incredible members of the ADI family,” he said. “I am so impressed with how ADI’s ‘Race for Inclusion’ brought together people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to champion the same crucial values.”
He added that “so many people don’t understand what disability inclusion is, why it’s so important, and how enjoyable it can be to empower others. As we sang and danced together following the race, it all became clear to everyone involved. It’s a moment I will never forget.”