Having lived in the city for 26 years, Yaffi and Yoseph Shmidman are more than just the first couple to be Jerusalemite of the week. Theirs is a dedicated family of runners.
While many people run as exercise to raise their heart rate, the Shmidmans also run to raise money for charity. And that is exactly what they plan to do once again at this year’s Jerusalem Marathon.
So ahead of the big race, In Jerusalem sat down with the Shmidmans to hear their story, what got them into running, and what causes they help while doing it.
How did you get into running?
Yaffi: COVID was the answer to that. My husband was a runner before; he loved the exercise. I would just go to the gym.
But then the coronavirus closed the world, and one of the only things that was legal to do to leave 500 meters [from home, during lockdown] was to do exercise. So that’s when I started running. I can’t do it by myself, so it’s always with my husband, though sometimes my daughter joins, too.
Since it was one of the only outlets to get out of the house, I started running a lot. I don’t enjoy it longer than a certain amount; I used to be in pain from running too much. But now I’ve hit my sweet spot where it’s really fun. Three or four times a week we go 12 or 13 kilometers, sometimes walking and sometimes running. It’s great for your head, it’s great for your body, and Jerusalem is such a great place to do it.
We have our Saturday night route, our weekday route, and our Friday morning route, which goes through the shuk and the Old City. So that’s where I can enjoy living in Jerusalem, see everything, and exercise.
Yoseph: I started running around 16 years ago: I started working with a personal trainer, and he suggested I start running. I started with shorter distances – five, six, 10 kilometers – then added more.
Last year was a landmark for me because I decided to run a full marathon for the first time at my advanced age: 58 at the time. I ran the Tel Aviv Marathon, and then the Jerusalem half marathon.
Do any of your children run?
Yaffi: Yes. For example, our daughter, Shmid, and her dog, Hayden.
Yoseph: Yeah, last year her dog did the entire 10K with her.
Yaffi: If you look at old pictures, you see her coming through the Old City, and when it gets crowded she’s afraid someone is going to step on him, so she wears him around her neck.
Running is one thing, but a marathon is something else. How did you get into the marathon together?
Yoseph: This might be the 13th year that I’ve been running in the marathon. I think I got into it for two reasons.
One is that it just seemed like fun and a challenge, but we also both raise money for charities. Our son had studied in a program called Darkaynu [Our Way], which is a year-in-Israel program for kids with special needs. I think the second year in the marathon was when charities started putting together teams and running for them. Darkeynu put together a team that year and I felt a lot of gratitude towards them, so I ran with them to raise money for Darkaynu.
Some time later, my kids and Yaffi decided to run for charity together, and they started running for Yachad [Together], which is for special-needs kids and adults.
So it was a combination of running for the marathon, which is just a really great celebration and fun day in Jerusalem, but also raising money for these charities.
Tell me more about the charities you’re running for
Yaffi: Darkaynu is a gap year program for kids with special needs. The girls’ program is affiliated with Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, while the boys’ program is in the Gush, in Har Etzion Yeshiva.
Yachad has 380 runners this year. It’s an Orthodox Union program all across the world that has everything from weekday activities for high school kids to summer camps. It’s a huge network, and it’s quite active in Israel, with branches and activities in a few cities. Our son has really enjoyed their services and is the chairman of the board as a participant leader. We’ve been involved with them for years, and they’re amazing.
Do you both run for the same charity?
Yoseph: I am officially registered to run for Darkaynu.
Yaffi: And I run for Yachad. But as a family, we raise quite a lot of money each year.
Yoseph: We send out a fundraising letter telling people we’re running for these two charities, and they can pick which one they want to donate to, if not both. We raised a total last year of almost $30,000.
Yaffi: We do a lot for the charity and want to give them a good push.
Where can people learn more about these charities?
Yaffi: Here are links to the two organizations we fundraise for: darkaynu.org.il and www.yachad.org/israel ■