Reaching the finish line in a half-marathon for the hostages - opinion

On February 11, 2024, 18 boys and girls from Emunah Bet Sabah Elazraki Children’s Home, of which I have been the director for 34 years, will run a half-marathon in Daytona Beach, Florida, in honor of the quick release of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity. 

This is not the first time that runners from the Children’s Home have participated in a marathon in the USA. For more than a decade, they have been running every year in memory of Liran Edri, an IDF soldier from Netanya who fell in battle during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. This year, the children specifically asked to run for the Israeli abductees in Gaza as well.

The children’s home and the runners

The starting point for our runners does not begin in Florida, but on the day they arrived at the children’s home. Bet Elazraki provides a warm and supportive home for over 200 children at risk and hundreds of adults. Each child has their own complex life story, but all of them are “running” on a new life path since they now have a home that cares for them, and a dedicated and skilled multidisciplinary team that supports them in every possible way. 

The staff and our friends throughout Israel and the world have always been and will always be there for them! Our home operates according to a professional and meticulous work model, the goal of which is to bring about a real change in the children’s lives and break the cycle of distress. And it is happening: our graduates serve in elite units in the IDF, study at universities, secure respectable jobs, and marry and raise healthy and beautiful families.

The marathon

The marathon is a major and well-publicized event in which participants run from all over the world and at all levels. This is the second year that our team will be running in Daytona Beach. Dear friends of the children’s home, Kenny and Susan Greif, sponsored our children’s participation in the marathon and have created a truly unforgettable experience for them. 

For the children of Bet Elazraki, this is not just another run. The half-marathon, for which our children prepare intensively for months, is the pivotal point in their private marathon – to overcome every difficulty that life has thrown at them and prove that they are real winners. Running gives them the opportunity to strengthen their self-image and improve their confidence and motivation. This year, the run has extra meaning for them, as not only is it dedicated to the memory of the late Liran Edri, but they are also running for the hostages. 

Before they set off last week, the team met with Galia, sister of Avinatan Or, one of the hostages; Emunah Israel CEO David Hadari; and Emunah Israel Chairperson Ifat Sela.

Each one of our incredible children has trodden an extraordinary path in his or her short life, proving that anything is possible if you persevere. As with every year, they are incredibly proud to represent the other children of Bet Elazraki and the State of Israel. But this year, every step on their route will be accompanied by a heartfelt prayer for the safety, health, and swift return of our hostages, who have been held captive by Hamas for over 120 days. Hopefully, they too will finally reach their finish line very, very soon.

The writer has been the director and leader of the Bet Elazraki Children’s Home since 1991.