At the 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12, 28 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.

JUF’s second-ever marathon team, chaired by Jason Friedman, has raised over $81,000 from over 680 donors.

Friedman, a JUF/Federation board member and longtime supporter who has run marathons in the past, wanted to run this year for something bigger than himself. The Chicago Marathon’s motto, “Life’s better when we’re connected” resonated with him and with TeamJUF’s mission.

“For a lot of the young people on [TeamJUF], it was their first ever touch-point with JUF or with being actively involved in fundraising and the Jewish community,” Friedman said. “I think they all walked away with not only a positive feeling of doing something good for the community but a positive sense of self. It’s a huge accomplishment for anybody.”

Adam Reinherz, a Buffalo Grove native who lives in Pittsburgh, returned to his hometown to run his ninth marathon with TeamJUF.

“It’s a privilege to run with TeamJUF,” he said. “Not only was I able to join such an inspiring group of people, but the opportunity to run 26.2 miles across Chicago in a shirt emblazoned with the letters JUF served as further reminder that our actions are much larger than ourselves.”

Ryan Schraier, of Lincoln Park, ran his first marathon with TeamJUF.

“The training, leading up to the race, taught me the true definition of commitment,” he said. “Completing my first marathon was by far one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. Overcoming the ‘wall’ that you hit at the 20 mile mark is such a mental and physical challenge but crossing the finish line makes it all worth it.”

Another member of TeamJUF, Naftali Garber, of Lakeview, made headlines by running the entire marathon barefoot. The team also included a father-daughter duo, Israel’s Consul General to the Midwest Roey Gilad who hosted a pre-race dinner for the team, and former JUF chairman David T. Brown who ran his 11th and final marathon this year.

Adrienne Kriezelman, of Winnetka—an active contributor and volunteer with JUF for the past 35 years, serving on the JUF Women’s Board, Federation Board and as the current Congregations chair—completed her first marathon this year, in honor of her 65th birthday.
“As I approached my 65th birthday I decided to test myself, telling myself that age is just a number and that you are never too old to try something new, to create new challenges for yourself,” she said. “I trained for six months for the marathon and ran 533 miles in that time. This was a challenge I undertook as a birthday present to myself, to accomplish this goal and at the same time raise money for JUF as I have been active and totally involved as a volunteer of the Jewish United Fund for my entire adult life.”

“I’m really proud of everybody and I hope [we inspire] more of our Jewish community to run next year for TeamJUF,” Friedman said. “We’re a great team, we’re a great charity and we have a lot of fun with our team. All you have to do is put in the time and do the training-TeamJUF will get you to the starting line and the rest is up
to you.”

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