On Oct. 11, 17 Bank of America Chicago Marathon runners not only crossed the finish line-they went the distance to help thousands of people throughout Chicago and around the world by running as a part of TeamJUF.

This is JUF’s third marathon team and continues the tradition of encompassing both age and experience with both novice and longtime runners. Prior to the race, they raised over $21,000, with proceeds going to support JUF’s life-changing work caring for people in need and sustaining the Jewish community.

The essence of community was especially captured in sibling pairs Alexa and Hannah Ehrlich and Andrew and Courtney Zessar.

“We grew up in Danville, Ill., where there were few other Jews so when we moved to Chicago we wanted to make Jewish friends and have a Jewish community. This is what ultimately brought us to JUF’s Young Leadership Division (YLD),” said Alexa, YLD Board member who watched the marathon with her sister, Hannah, for years.

“Running in the Chicago Marathon was always on our bucket list,” Hannah said. “Each year we looked at each other and wondered when we would do it. Once we saw the opportunity to run with TeamJUF, we knew this was the year. Fundraising for JUF was natural because we wanted to give back to the organization that has given us so much.”

Siblings Andrew and Courtney Zessar were also excited to be supporting JUF even if they attend college in different cities. Courtney even returned home to Chicago during her fall break to run the marathon. They have always been supportive of one another and training is no exception. “We plan mini-workouts to motivate each other,” said Andrew, a Northwestern senior who ran for the second time with TeamJUF.

“I created a 300-plus song playlist on Spotify for our runs so we were always connected,” added Courtney, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania. “I know that I couldn’t have run my first marathon if it weren’t for Andrew.” And whatever they did worked, because this sibling team is at the top of the leaderboard for fundraising with over $3,000 raised.

Rounding off the team, seasoned runner Ralph Siegel ran his 26 ^th marathon this year-and his third with TeamJUF. “Training for the marathon is reminiscent of when I worked at JUF,” Ralph expressed. “Every morning I used to run from my home to the JUF office on Franklin. Even though I no longer work there, I still feel connected to the cause and community.”

This sense of connection was solidified by the TeamJUF pre-race dinner, hosted for the third year in a row by Israeli Consul General Roey Gilad and his wife, Nitza. This year, we were honored to be joined by Consul General Toshiyuki Iwado of Japan and Paul Miller representing the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

No matter where each trained or what motivated them to run, this year’s TeamJUF was symbolic of the community it represents: strong, vibrant, and determined to make a difference.

For more information about TeamJUF, visit www.JUF.org/Marathon .

Robyn Schneider is a donor officer in the Trades, Industries and Professions (TIP) Division and director of the Financial Services and High Tech, Marketing, and Media Divisions of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago.