52 runners ran and fundraised for Jewish Care in the Maccabi Fun Run this year, including seven runners who are participating in Jewish Care’s Bnei Mitzvah programme. Runners from the age of five years-old ran with their families for Jewish Care covering the 1k, 5k and 10k distances in support the charity’s vital work with five of the runners covering the Tri distance of 16k.
Max Lesner, 13 and Theo Freeder, 12, are both participating in Jewish Care’s Bnei Mitzvah programme, each ran 10k. Theo smashed his 10k target time whilst his mum, Eve, ran 5km with Theo’s younger brothers, Aidan and George.
Eve said, “We loved being involved with the whole community. This is something that is really important to us and a message that Theo has taken away from Jewish Care through the Bnei Mitzvah program. It was great to be able to give something back.”
Jewish Care’s Bnei Mitzvah programme aims to inspire the participants to think about their responsibility in the community to coincide with the Jewish coming of age ceremony marking the time when they become officially responsible for their own religious life.
Jewish Care’s Director of Fundraising and Community Engagement, Adam Overlander Kaye said,
“It was fantastic to see so many young people and their families at the Maccabi Fun Run. It’s a great community event and I’d like to congratulate our 52 runners of all ages and thank them for supporting Jewish Care’s vital work for older people in the community.
“Young people bring so much to our community especially when they have the opportunity to engage in intergenerational events and meet older people. We were very proud to see our participants of the Bnei Mitzvah programme on the track running the distance for Jewish Care this year.”