By Jannie Tolhoek

It was still early on Friday morning, 16 October, when five of us from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem left the capital city for Kibbutz Be’eri to participate in the first-ever Race of Hope. We knew it would be an emotional day, but none of us quite anticipated what awaited us.

Around 3500 people had gathered to participate in four different distances. The atmosphere was extraordinary. This was far more than a sporting event. It was a community coming together to honor those who lost their lives on October 7, remember the pain and celebrate the resilience of people determined to rebuild.

The longest distance, 22 kilometres, began at precisely 6:29 a.m., marking the moment the first rockets were launched three years earlier. We will never forget the devastation, fear and desperate uncertainty of that morning. Yet here we were, back in this beautiful part of the Western Negev, standing alongside its people.

One organiser captured the spirit of the event at the starting line: “Today is not a race. Today is a living resilience of who we are. Run with strength. Let’s honour our fallen and return to this holy ground with life. Run with hope. Run with courage.”

Those words reminded me that we were not running away from the pain of the past, but towards a future these communities are determined to reclaim.

Our route took us through Kibbutz Be’eri, across fields where new fruit trees have been planted and past memorial sites bearing witness to October 7. At different stations, participants could pause, write messages on white stones and remember those whose lives were taken. At the Nova music festival memorial, the faces of young people who never came home looked out at us. It was impossible to pass without feeling the weight of their loss.

Yet we kept moving through a landscape where destruction and renewal exist side by side, past communities near the Gaza border where some residents have returned home while others are still preparing for their return.

Running alongside so many people who share this pain was deeply moving. There is healing in community, in sharing emotions and discovering that we are not alone.

Samuel, one of our ICEJ participants, reflected: “There is a desire for new beginnings, new chapters, not ignoring the past, but despite the past to say again, ‘Am Israel Chai.’”

Corrie expressed a similar sentiment: “Despite the past, we are moving on. A walk of remembrance, resilience and courage. That is the essence of all these people together. It is not a competition, but a big family together rejoicing in the Gaza envelope.”

That sense of family was unmistakable.

Over the past three years, ICEJ has walked alongside communities throughout the Gaza Envelope. Following October 7, we mourned with the people, listened to their stories, cried together and witnessed the aftermath of destruction. But we also rolled up our sleeves to help through rebuilding and renovation projects, Hands-On Serving Tours, bomb shelters and many other initiatives.

That is why participating in this first Race of Hope meant so much to me. This region is no longer simply a place on a map. Its people, their stories and their determination to return have become deeply precious to my heart.

We wore ICEJ T-shirts bearing the Hebrew message “We are with you” and the English words “We Stand with Israel.” During the run, two young women noticed our shirts and exclaimed, “How precious, they are with us!”

Those words touched me deeply because they reminded me that our presence and friendship matter. Several people also recognised us during and after the run, reflecting the relationships we have built through years of practical support. We are not helping from a distance but walking alongside these communities on their journey towards recovery.

As I ran through this land, I was reminded that resilience does not mean forgetting. The scars remain, and we will always remember those we lost. Yet new trees are growing, homes are being rebuilt and people are choosing to return.

We will always remember that terrible morning of October 7. But we will also remember this morning: 3500 people running together, honoring the fallen and embracing the future.

For me, the Race of Hope was a declaration of love for this land and its people. We came to remember, but also to celebrate life and say through every step and every act of solidarity: You are not alone.

Am Israel Chai — may the people of Israel live!

For more support on the rebuilt of Israel after the 7th of October please give today at: https://help.icej.org/crisis