Taking Yiddishkeit to the Comrades Marathon

TALI FEINBERG

“My dad passed away in December and it was incredibly important for me to be able to say Kaddish during the race,” says Utian, who just completed his second Comrades Marathon. “I have really not wanted to miss a day without saying Kaddish for him and without a minyan I would have missed it on the day of Comrades. This would have bothered me immensely.

“Fortunately, Rabbi Shlomo Wainer organised a minyan along the way and I was able to stop and say Kaddish,” he says.  Rabbi Wainer from Chabad of the North Coast, Umhlanga, and his team of volunteers, have been supporting Comrades runners for the past 22 years.

“We wanted to spiritualise the ultimate race. The Comrades is all about mind over matter, and having access to their Judaism means that runners are supported through the tough moments. We put the neshoma into the race,” says Rabbi Wainer.

“Indeed,” Utian adds: “Without sounding cliched, the experience of saying Kaddish during the Comrades made my run. Before reaching the tent, I was feeling really tired and uncertain as to whether I was going to reach my goal time.

“After putting on tefillin and saying Kaddish I felt a renewed energy and managed to reach my goal with time to spare. It was both a physically and spiritually uplifting experience. It was certainly one of the highlights of my day and a moment that will remain with me for the rest of my life.”

A major part of Rav Wainer’s work is supporting runners from the sidelines, where they can stop at the Chabad tent for both physical and spiritual nourishment. They are able to do a “mitzvah on the move”, whether it is saying a brocha over food, putting a coin in a tzedaka box, laying tefillin, joining a minyan, saying the Tefilat Ha’Derech (prayer for a safe journey) or saying Kaddish.

“Many runners stop so that the run isn’t simply about running but rather has a special spiritual element to it. It also gives them a boost at a difficult time in the race,” explains Levi Lipskar, who has run three Comrades Marathons.

“Those who stop, feel that it even helps them to get their times, as it gives them that extra boost.” Runner Marc Green, who also completed his third Comrades, quips: “Shlichim descend to lay tefillin with the efficiency of a racing pit stop team.”

Laying tefillin and davening, or saying Kaddish with a minyan of runners and supporters during the Comrades, has brought grown men to tears. “It is often very emotional,” says Rabbi Wainer, who adds that for some men, the only time they lay tefillin is on the Comrades!

Despite the race being so physical, it also has many spiritual aspects. “The Comrades teaches you to have humility coupled with the knowledge that a challenge is not insurmountable,” says Lipskar.

South African Board of Jewish Education general director Rabbi Craig Kacev, ran his first Comrades this year. He stressed that it certainly is a challenge to the normal order of the day to stop for davening, “yet using halacha as a guide, one is able to infuse the day with a good measure of spirituality.

“Our small group shared a Dvar Torah at each major hill in the first 50 km before we took off at our own pace.”

He was particularly inspired by Psalm 121, which talks of “looking at the mountains contemplating where help will come from”.

“In life we face many mountains – challenges we are not sure we can overcome. Yet Hashem the Creator of those ‘mountains’, empowers us to achieve things we could never imagine,” says Rav Kacev.

“One moves ahead feeling His embrace, support, energy and guidance. Watching and experiencing the kindness and abundance of the Comrades day, I know we tap into our real core in those moments.”

Jewish runners enjoy the hospitality of Chabad as soon as they arrive in Durban. A buffet Shabbat dinner is organised, with top guest speakers from the athletics world, and runners and their spouses have access to the newly-built mikvah. Kosher food, shul services and community support are all provided.

Talking with enthusiasm, Rabbi Wainer feels that besides Yomim Tovim, the Comrades weekend is the highlight of his year, and it is easy to see why. It is Jewish values in action.

It is a time when Jewish runners enjoy the enrichment of their Jewish identity, but also being part of wider South African society.

Says: Lipskar: “Standing at the starting line and throughout the day, one realises that despite the huge challenges that we face as South Africans, we are an unbelievable nation, a miraculous nation in fact – no colour, creed, religion or race matters on Comrades day. Everyone is an equal South African and the unity is immense.”

Utian says: “We often judge the country by the negativity that we are exposed to; however the Comrades comes to remind us that it is only a few people who are fuelling the negativity. There are millions of great people out there who only want to do good. In addition, when one meets international runners along the way and hear how complimentary they are about our country and how iconic this event is, one is reminded of how grateful and proud we should be to be South Africans. The event is brilliantly organised and is an example of what us South Africans can actually do.”