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YULA girls travel overseas for special needs

As Shabbat was fast approaching, nearly 1,000 people stretched their legs, tied up their shoelaces, chugged water and prepared to run through the streets of Jerusalem.
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April 23, 2015

As Shabbat was fast approaching, nearly 1,000 people stretched their legs, tied up their shoelaces, chugged water and prepared to run through the streets of Jerusalem.

They were part of a sea of runners — some 25,000 — getting ready for the annual Jerusalem Marathon on March 13, except their mission was much more important than getting to the finish line. They were there to represent and raise money for Shalva, the Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel.  

Six students from YULA Girls High School and their chaperone made the trip from Southern California to run various parts of the 26.2-mile race. They raised a minimum of $2,600 each — about $18,000 total — and participated in an 800-meter walk with Shalva children. They also toured Shalva facilities in Jerusalem and mingled with other racers at a victory party.

Tzipporah Topp, a YULA 10th-grader, said both the 10K in which she participated and the 800-meter walk were powerful experiences.

“The Shalva children were so amazing,” she said. “They were enthusiastic and happy. Some were being pushed in wheelchairs or running. It was incredible to be next to them and see how they were being cared for and how energetic and full of life they were.”

Another 10th-grade participant, Eliana Pomerance, who did the 10K, said the race was unbelievable.

“There were all these people on the sides cheering us on and holding these big posters,” she said. “Bands were blasting music and people were handing us water bottles as we ran.”

The other YULA participants were Rachel Loffman (half-marathon); Rachel Frieman (10K); Allison Barak and Rachel Mund (5K), and assistant to the dean of students Stefani Schaechter (half-marathon).

Racers raised nearly $1 million for Shalva, according to Allison Krumholz, director of the West Coast Region of American Friends of Shalva in Agoura Hills. That money will go toward Shalva’s efforts to help more than 500 people in Israel care for their children with special needs.

The word “shalva” literally means “peace of mind.” The organization was started in 1990 by husand and wife Kalman and Malki Samuels, whose son Yossi, born 13 years earlier, became blind and deaf after receiving a faulty vaccination at 11 months of age. After years of caring for their son, they realized the lack of services available to them and wanted to ensure other families didn’t go through the same struggles.

Shalva offers services to families from the time their children are born until they reach adulthood. This includes therapy and other programming, supervision at a rehabilitative day care, after-school activities and even a summer sleep-away camp experience.

This year, the organization is set to open the Shalva National Children’s Center in Jerusalem. The 180,000-square-foot building will contain a recreational pool, a 400-seat auditorium for performances, a family counseling space and a specially designed fitness center.

“With this expansion and this new center, we want to increase the reach and awareness throughout the country [of Israel],” Krumholz said.

Next year, the Jerusalem Marathon will be held on March 18. To get the word out about running for Team Shalva, Krumholz said an informational meeting will be held in early June.

“We hope we’ll have more students doing it next year from the West Coast. They have hundreds from the East Coast,” she said, noting that the YULA girls represented the only high school student group from this part of the country.

As for the YULA girls, they’re committed to returning to Jerusalem in 2016 to run for the cause after their experience this year.

“The entire trip was really nice,” Pomerance said. “There was a mom who spoke about how we are running one day, but she runs every day for her child. It made me feel so good that I raised money for such a special organization.”

“It was an incredible chesed” — kindness —  Topp said. “It was amazing to be part of the organization that does so much for these children and their families. You feel like you’re part of something great. I’d recommend anyone to do it next year.”

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