Dr. Yossi David
The Department of Communication Studies
(email)

In 2021, I turned my personal journey into a safe space for change by founding Runners for Change together with my dear friend Yossi Klar. Runners for Change is a social running club that aims to empower people who are going through major life changes, in particular those who, like me, have left the ultra-Orthodox community. Our goal is to channel the power of movement to improve mental resilience, foster self-discovery, and build a new community around a positive shared goal.

For the members of Running for Change – many of whom come from ultra-Orthodox and other closed communities – running is much more than a sport. It is a deliberate way to take control over their life, step by step, and at the pace they choose. Each one of us carries the weight of an almost impossible choice: separation from family, community, and everything familiar, the first brave step toward searching for identity and meaning beyond the boundaries of the communities within which we grew up. As runners, our movement in the world becomes a metaphor for our shared journey – a journey that transforms challenges into opportunities, a journey where each step marks progress not only physically but also mentally and spiritually.

This club operates as an anti-community – a group with common aims but without a formal framework. It provides a platform and a name which every member can imbue with their own ideas, whether that means creating a local running group, joining an existing group, or simply knowing that there are other men and women running somewhere in the world, going through a similar journey. Through running, the connection is centered on constant change and movement forward.

Running is just like leaving the ultra-Orthodox community: at first, every step seems insurmountable. How do you learn to live in the secular world? How do you deal with loneliness? How do you build a career without a basic education? Taking one step at a time is the only way to overcome these obstacles. The only way to discover that we are capable of achieving these goals, that the boundaries we thought were insurmountable were just lines in the sand.

When I run for long distances in the mountains, I often think of the ultra-Orthodox boy I used to be. The one who didn't know what running was and was sure that it wasn't possible to run for fun, for the challenge, for the feeling of freedom. Sometimes I think about what was there on the path that allowed me to get to the place I am in today. The elements that allowed me to get to this place while others didn't. I think that perhaps the strength in movement and perseverance is what allowed me to overcome the crises and challenges that once seemed insurmountable. I think of all those who have left and are leaving who have not yet discovered this power that lies in movement, always in movement – even when it is difficult, even when it hurts, even when it seems like there is nowhere to go. After all, we always have the strength within ourselves to take just one more step.