A deeply emotional moment is expected at the upcoming Jerusalem Marathon. Anna Harari, widow of Shmuel Harari who fell in battle on Simchat Torah, will run in his honor. She’ll be joined by their three children on the marathon’s family track.
“The First and Last Time We Ran Together”
This Friday, thousands of runners will fill the streets of Jerusalem. But for Anna and her family, this run carries a unique meaning—one of remembrance and hope. Originally from France, Anna made aliyah to perform national service, where she met Shmuel, an American immigrant. Together, they built a loving home, raised three children, and shared a life full of purpose. A year into the war, on Simchat Torah, Shmuel was killed in Lebanon.
“Two weeks before he fell, we went for a run in Jerusalem—it was the first and last time we ran together,” Anna recalls. She had registered for the Jerusalem Marathon following that run, and after his death, she knew without hesitation that she would run in his memory.
“They Can’t Wait to Run for Him”
The Harari family won’t be running alone. They’ll be supported by the Koby Mandell Foundation, which has helped bereaved families for over twenty years. Shmuel himself had been a youth counselor for the foundation during his teenage years, guiding bereaved children and siblings—bringing the story full circle. All three of his children will run the family course, proudly wearing shirts with their father’s photo. “He was the perfect father,” says Anna. “They can’t wait to run for him.”
“Anna and the entire Harari family are very dear to us. Shmuel was a beloved counselor we’ll never forget,” said Eliana Brenner-Mandell, CEO of the Koby Mandell Foundation. “Anna’s run, along with others from our organization participating in the Jerusalem Marathon, sends a powerful message—a message of resilience and choosing life. We’re doing everything we can to support and uplift these families.”
