For Ian Shinbrot, Judaism was always more of a cultural experience than a religious one. The Center City resident said he attended a handful of events as a young adult in college, but trailed off a bit after that when it came to being involved in Jewish Philadelphia. Then, Oct. 7 happened.
“It just made me feel closer to Judaism in general,” he said. “With the rapid [increase in] antisemitism that has gone on, tight-knit Jewish communities have definitely helped in that regard.”
Shinbrot wasn’t sure in what capacity he wanted to take part when it came to Jewish involvement — until he found Philly Runners in Israel.
“It intrigued me, because I like to run,” he said. “I went to their informational session, learned more about it and [learned] they had a trip to Israel. Since Oct. 7, I have really wanted to go to Israel.”
Philly Runners in Israel is a program put on by the Kaiserman JCC and largely funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, but it is poised to make a deeper impact than the typical community center club or activity. Runners will meet once a month for the next eight months to get to know each other. At the end of that, they will travel together to Israel, where they will take part in the Tiberias Marathon, which offers different distance options, from a 5K to the full marathon that is in its name.
For Shinbrot, who has found his Jewish niche, this organization is about more than a race or eight group training sessions and meetups — it’s a chance to foster atypical connections within the Philadelphia Jewish community.
“Creating that sort of Jewish community where some people might be more religious than others [is important],” he said. “At a lot of these events, you tend to see the same [type] of people. So this is kind of cool.”
Shinbrot has been to Israel twice before, once with his family and once on a Birthright trip. This visit will be special, though.
“It’ll be something that you have in common [with Israeli runners], besides being Jewish,” he said.
Barrie Mittica is the JCC’s director of engagement, and she said that the basis for creating Philly Runners in Israel was simple: increase engagement with Israel.
“Everybody has a different connection point to Israel. Maybe you are interested in politics, maybe you are interested in the cultural arts, but finding that connection for you is what makes it deeper,” she said.
The Kaiserman JCC leadership team spitballed ideas and settled on running for a few reasons. For one, it’s popular. Mittica said it’s a “micro community” that enjoys being together and seems to grow every day. She added that Israel is a place in which physical health and fitness is prioritized, and that there would be plenty of Israeli runners who these Philadelphians could easily connect to over their shared passion.
Shinbrot said he is excited for the planned meetups with Israeli running groups, and Mittica said she hopes that those meetups in Tiberias can serve as a jumping off point for more conversations about the two countries and shared Judaism.
Shinbrot said he is excited to meet Israeli counterparts, but that he is also excited to get to know runners close to home. So far, a handful of people have signed up for the program, which includes subsidies for the trip for those who are interested in them. While it’s up to the runners to make sure their bodies are ready for the race, whether that be a five-kilometer one, a 26.2-mile one or something in between, the JCC is organizing the eight meetups and packing them full of useful experiences.
While the program is still open and accepting additions, the first meetup came earlier this month and consisted of the group members getting to know each other and discussing the trip’s purpose. The second meetup is a learning session about how Judaism relates to physical fitness and how health has shaped Jewish identity. The third is a Shabbat dinner.
The fourth touches on the relationship between American Jewry and Israel. The fifth is a local race that will be organized by the participants and is the only one of the sessions that actually includes running.
The final three sessions are about Israel post-Oct. 7, sports in the country and then a trip preparation meeting.
Shinbrot said he’s excited for not just the trip but the journey, and that hopefully the Philly Runners in Israel will spark more support here at home for the world’s only Jewish state.
“[The JCC] wants to get more people to Israel, because from what I understand from the intro session, it seems like a lot of younger people may not have had the opportunity to go to Israel,” Shinbrot said. “Running seems to be an up-and-coming way to do that.”