Hillel to Run for Israel Education and Culture Cause

Students and community members of all ages have registered to compete in the Second Annual FIT (For Israel Team Hillel) 5K Run/Walk scheduled, rain or shine, on Sunday, April 28 in Buccleuch Park, New Brunswick.

According to Co-Chairs David Yellin, Dr. Richard Bullock and Jennifer Bullock, all of Edison, the event raises funds dedicated to the support of the Rutgers Hillel Center for Israel Engagement (RHCIE), a national model for campus education and advocacy. Driven by a core belief that a positive connection to Israel is essential for a strong, healthy Jewish identity, RHCIE focuses on enhancing the understanding of American college students about the spirit of Israel and its people.

Under the leadership of director Tzvi Raviv, the RHCIE has mobilized students to broaden their understanding of Israel and its people through positive encounters with visiting Israelis, artists, businessmen and academicians, rather than focusing on confrontations with anti-Israel groups, according to Andrew Getraer, Hillel Executive Director.  “Tzvi and our Israel Campus Fellow Lihi Rothschild have built a solid foundation of student leadership for Israel that will ensure a permanent pro-Israel infrastructure at Rutgers. Their creative programming puts a very human face on the Jewish homeland, for all students,” Getraer said.

The FIT 5K was introduced and organized last year by Co-Chair Yellin, himself a serious runner. “The event,” he explains, “provides participants with an opportunity to both support Israel and fulfill the mitzvah of Shomer ha Guf (taking care of one’s body), while having a great time with a lot of terrific people.”

The FIT 5K is a USA Track & Field NJ Grand Prix sanctioned 500-point event for serious runners.  Participants may also register as students or community members in the run/walk division or the one-mile Fun/Run/Walk. Awards will be given to the top three men and women in each age group (in five-year-increments).  Participants may still register online at www.bestrace.com or print a registration form from the Rutgers Hillel site www.rutgershillel.org. 

-Rutgers Hillel