Bereaved Families Train in Nir Oz for Chicago Marathon
Dozens of bereaved Israeli families gathered in Kibbutz Nir Oz for a joint training session ahead of the Chicago Marathon, where they will participate as part of the "One Family" organization's running team. This was the fourth training session for the team, whose members have been preparing for the full 42.2-kilometer marathon for months. The team includes parents, siblings, and other relatives who lost loved ones in the October 7th massacre, the subsequent war, or in past terror attacks and conflicts.
During each meeting, team members share their personal stories and the stories of those they are running in memory of. Asaf Ben Hamou, whose brother Sergeant Major Michael Ben Hamou was killed on October 7th, described the training in Nir Oz as "very special." He noted, "We ran in the fields, heard stories from people from Nir Oz, and saw the very places where people were kidnapped and where events unfolded. It was quiet there, and you try to imagine what those areas looked like on October 7th." Ben Hamou emphasized the importance of running in that specific location and sharing his brother's story, stating, "It's important to me that people know Michael, not just about his falling, but about who he was."
The team's journey to Chicago is scheduled to begin on October 7th, with the marathon itself taking place on October 11th. This marks the first time the "One Family" organization, founded 25 years ago to support families of terror victims and the bereaved, has organized a team for an international marathon. The organization has expanded its support since October 7th to include families affected by the massacre and the war.
Moshe Swil, CEO of "One Family," stated that "behind each of these runners is a person who is missing and a whole life story that continues to walk with them." He added that the training in Nir Oz had "special power," as running in a place filled with pain and memories while seeing the team move forward together embodies the essence of their journey. The organization aims to support families in learning to live with their loss, not to leave it behind.
