At the Doni Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary, which is considered the largest in Europe, today (Sunday) Asaf Stolarz will stand on the starting line, and wait for the sound of the shofar to be blown, to embark on the important journey of his life in one of the most moving gestures we have seen in recent years.
The 66-year-old Stolarz will run with his Hungarian friend Peter Heido, a crazy number of 550 kilometers for 11 days (50 kilometers a day), each day dedicated to a different space who was murdered in the massacre of the athletes at the Munich Olympics 50 years ago.
The two runners will finish the journey on September 2 at the Olympic Stadium.
"It will be a race that will not be forgotten, to raise the voice of all of us loudly, against racist hatred. Against anti-Semitism and thus commemorate the memory of the 11th martyrs of Munich," Stolrage told Israel Hayom.
How did the idea to do this come about?
"Peter came up with the idea when we met at the Maccabi games in Mexico about two years ago. We talked about it and it turned out to me that he ran from Budapest to Auschwitz a few years ago. He is a warm Jewish guy, very committed and I just connected with him. When he said he intended to run to Munich and I told him that if it happened - I I'll run with him and now it's happening."
How will this work in practice?
"Today we will start from the Great Synagogue of Budapest, it is an amazing, very important and symbolic place. We will receive the blessing of the ambassador, the mayor and the members of the Jewish community, who will blow the shofar and send us on our way, along with a number of community members who will join us in the first few kilometers."
"We will run an average of 50 kilometers a day, with a different location every day. We have to remember that the real distance is 650 kilometers, so the symbolic 50 is the average. We will run four consecutive days, have a day of rest, then another four days and rest until we complete the run. We will arrive to the Olympic Park and we will hold an exciting ceremony that will be led by Maccabi Germany, together with the Jewish community."
There was also supposed to be the official ceremony that the families would not attend, what do you think about that?
"It's an official ceremony on September 5. There are problems with it and we promised the families that we would not participate. They are cooperating with us. It was important to me that if I do it, I do it to the end and I met with them."
The families support, photo: Private
How did they react to the move?
"They are excited, and they really liked the idea and respect it. They gave me the blessing of the road. Even after the process started, every Friday I put up a post in collaboration with them. It's just that they canceled their arrival at the ceremony, Ilana Romano asked me not to come either."
What do you remember from that day of the massacre?
"I was born in Argentina, and I was always connected to sports and the Maccabi movement. I was a child at the time and it was a difficult day, we followed all the reports and there was a lot of anger. It was not the same media as today. There was a lot of uncertainty. Even later in my career, I was a CEO." To the Weightlifting Association, where the Israel Championship is dedicated to the memory of the 11th.
"It has accompanied me all my life. When I used to be a physical education teacher, I tried to be present at every event of the subject. There is a connection of several things here - running defines me, I always ran for myself, I participated in competitions including Iron Man and I came to the conclusion that I want to run with meaning, and the things Connect together. Also with the friend and with the special track."
But you haven't done such a run yet.
"It has an additional challenge, mentally and physically, but when there is a goal, the challenge intensifies - because you know why you are doing it."
Were there those who might have wanted to prevent you from running such a distance?
"Most of the reactions were 'Wow', 'Well done'. But of course there are other reactions that I will keep to myself. But you know me - I am very careful and I believe that what we do is a good thing and we will do it well, when we do not compete but convey a message - when the slogan of the event will be 'to run and remember', or 'to run with meaning'."
Asaf and Peter.
550 km in 11 days,
"We will also be kind to the families, who are currently in a very big dilemma. They are in a battle and we come to empathize with them and support them a little, when in addition it will be against violence and against anti-Semitism, when only last week we heard about the anti-Semitic incident against the Israeli athletes at the HA memorial in Munich .
Unfortunately it still exists and our presence or each of us there is extremely important."
What does it do to you when you also see the successes of the Israeli athletes this week?
"It fills the heart and is simply amazing. Every victory like this is a small victory and not a defiance. Jumping into the water and winning, running a marathon and waving the flag. They give their soul and it's fun to see the flag like that, and I, too, in my small place, am happy to join this group."
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