Yonah Brown runs six or seven times a week and is a cross country athlete for Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School, where he is a seventh grader.
“I’ve only done cross-country for a year, but I’ve been really dedicated,” Yonah said.
So it made sense for him to incorporate his love of running into his mitzvah project before his March 29 bar mitzvah at Adas Israel Congregation.
Yonah’s “Fun Run for Magen David Adom” on Feb. 23 benefited Israel’s national emergency medical and disaster response service through American Friends of Magen David Adom, combining his love for the land with the miles he puts in nearly every day.
The 25 family members, friends and teammates who signed up to run began at Adas Israel in Washington, D.C., then embarked on a 3.5-mile loop — 2.5 miles for walkers — around the National Zoo.
Participants helped raise funds for Israeli first responders’ needs and equipment to help people on the ground, a cause important to Yonah.
“[Magen David Adom first responders] help people no matter their religion, political affiliation, anything like that,” Yonah said. “They’re doing really good things for Israel, especially now when they need it.”
His passion for Israel stemmed from a two-and-a-half month family trip there when he was 10.
“I felt a strong connection to the land,” Yonah said. “It feels like my home, so I want to make sure it’s going to be safe.”
His classmate, Zachary Cutler, also has a love for sports made apparent through his bar mitzvah on Feb. 16. After the service, his family, friends and teammates joined him for a baseball-themed party at Adas Israel, complete with food, games and a pitching machine that calculated a baseball’s speed and accuracy.
“Baseball is my favorite sport, and it’s my family’s favorite sport,” Zachary said.
Nearly every year, Zachary, his dad and his cousins attend spring training and see the New York Yankees play in Tampa, Florida. Zachary has played baseball for at least six years, first for Capital City Little League and now on the Wild Bill Sports travel team.
“I really enjoy [playing baseball because] it’s good competition,” he said. “I hang out with my friends there and I really want to continue playing it.”
He chose to dedicate his mitzvah project to Leveling the Playing Field, collecting new and gently used sports equipment for the youth sports charitable organization based in Silver Spring. For Zachary, it’s important that other local youth athletes have access to the same opportunities that he has had, especially with sports playing such a large role in his life.
Community members from across the D.C. area — Zachary enlisted the local Little League — donated ice skates, hockey equipment, “everything.”
“I really want all kids to experience playing sports and with the right equipment,” Zachary said, citing the health benefits and camaraderie of playing on a team.
zbell@midatlanticmedia.com
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