“Fear and uncertainty,” is what Oak Park resident Jeffrey Bergman felt upon hearing the news on October 7, 2023.
That morning, the militant group Hamas launched a coordinated attack in the southern district of Israel, along the Gaza boarder, killing 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, and kidnapping 248 others.
“It’s hard to be reminded, so abruptly, that tens of millions of people would kill you, or hurt you, or kidnap you, if they had the opportunity, just because of who you are,” he said.
Bergman added that he “needed a meaningful way to support the broader Jewish people and others who were affected” by the atrocity. A congregant of the Union for Reform Judaism and Oak Park Temple, he learned of Run for Their Lives, a “[grassroots] organization that facilitates global run/walk events calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas,” according to its Instagram page.
What appealed to Bergman about Run for Their Lives was the “simplicity and humanity” in which the group brings awareness. “The organization consciously aims to be peaceful, to walk and not to ‘march’ or ‘protest.’”
Bergman organized a local effort, to walk every Sunday until the remaining hostages are released. As of Feb. 27, 132 people were reported held captive, and in December, according to CNN, Israel believed 20 of them to be dead.
The walks begin at the Harlem Avenue entrance of Oak Park Temple on North Harlem Avenue and continue for one kilometer.
Bergman told the Journal that depending on the Sunday, anywhere from 15 to 40 people might join the walk.
“Our group gathers each week, records a message of support, and sings Hebrew songs while we walk for around 18 minutes. In Jewish practice, the number 18 symbolizes life. It’s a way to show that we have not forgotten our brothers and sisters who are held in terrible captivity.”
Despite a documented worldwide rise in antisemitism in recent months, Bergman said the walks have only attracted one negative reaction. Instead, he said, “many drivers on Harlem give us a “thumbs up” or honk as they pass us.”
Visiting Israel for the first time with his family last summer gave Bergman a unique perspective on the Oct. 7 attacks.
“We saw firsthand that Israel is a wonderful country, but which like every place has real challenges and deep imperfections. The people who were abducted came to Israel, or were the children and grandchildren of people who came, to make it a better place. They did not deserve this, in any way, and they do not deserve to be forgotten.”
However, not everyone shares a personal connection with Israel and Gaza. Bergman said they are walking so that everyone can “remember that the war started when Hamas brutally attacked communities inside of Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting hundreds more. The hostages are being held as bargaining chips by terrorists [and] are dual US-Israeli citizens, so as Americans they are our fellow citizens, as well.”
Two American women were among the four hostages released in October.
According to Al Jazeera, by the end of a six-day truce on Nov. 30, 105 captives were released by Hamas and 240 Palestinian prisoners had been freed by Israel. Since that time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected further negotiations.
“Only the continuation of military pressure, until complete victory, will result in the release of all our hostages,” he has said.
As of Feb. 27, President Joseph Biden said he believed a cease fire in the region could happen within a week.
“I don’t pretend to know the best way to bring them home,” Bergman said. “That’s a question for statesmen and soldiers. But I do know that if the hostages are forgotten by America and the rest of the world, they’ll probably never leave the tunnels under Gaza. What we can do [through the walks] is to keep reminding our friends and neighbors here, so we don’t lose sight of their plight or Hamas’ awful crime.”
