By Erin Wides
Spirit and determination weren’t dampened, despite the rainy conditions, during Nice Jewish Runners Nashville’s Shalom Y’all Solidarity Run for Beth Israel Congregation.
When their group first planned the run, they anticipated chilly winter weather, not a citywide freeze.
An arctic blast swept through Nashville at the end of January, causing days of power outages and extensive tree damage across the city, which forced the group to postpone. For many, that might have been the end of it. But for this group, solidarity isn’t seasonal, and it’s not just when it’s convenient.
It’s a commitment. “As Jews, we understand the importance and power of responsibility. Our lives are shaped and impacted by it. We show up on the good days and difficult days,” said Erin Wides, NJR Nashville Team Captain.
After news broke of the arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation, a member of the run club suggested a solidarity run might be a nice gesture, being a neighboring southern Jewish community. As hours went on, it quickly became clear that many in the Nashville Jewish community had been impacted by Jewish life at Beth Israel Congregation, whether growing up there, attending youth group, bar and bat mitzvahs, services, etc.
When the rescheduled date arrived, the forecast once again threatened their plans. Rain fell throughout the morning and puddles gathered along the greenway. The skies remained heavy and gray. But as runners arrived, there was just enough break in the rain to make the day happen.
To onlookers, it may have appeared to be more of a tailgate, with SUV trunks sheltering check-in, t-shirt pickup, and post-run food, donated by community partners.
Nice Jewish Runners Nashville member Brad Krock shared what it was like for him growing up at Beth Israel.
“After growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, and being Jewish in the Deep South, it truly gave me a base for identity. You learned how to have conversations with both people likeminded and non-likeminded, of all religions and walks of life, and it was a very open and welcoming space,” Krock said.
Following Krock’s words, jackets zipped high and sweatshirts on; runners were counted down, and off they went for a three-mile loop. Shoes splashed through greenway puddles, and conversations continued between strides. What could have been a dreary morning instead felt purposeful.
“There was something kind of fitting about the weather,” Wides said. “The clouds overhead mirrored the heaviness many felt in recent weeks. Yet below them, our community moved forward anyway, steady, determined, and together.”
That’s what Nice Jewish Runners was born out of, a belief that people are stronger together and that through creating Jewish life and community they can help each other through the most difficult times.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, community partners, and participants in Nashville, and virtually in New York, and Saint Louis, the group was able to raise close to $3,000 to send to the Beth Israel Rebuilding Fund.
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