Over time, she said, the walks took on wider significance, as it became clear that the grim fraternity of hostage families were aware that there were Jews around the world who were showing up week after week to walk on behalf of their loved ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cGradually we became acquainted with the hostages. Each one of us, we pretty much adopted someone. \u2026 We got to know who they were, how they lived, and, for many, how they died,\u201d said Halpern, who was present on Sunday. \u201cWe then learned that our presence \u2026 our weekly silent walks were appreciated by the hostage families, that it meant to them that they were not forgotten, that there were people who would take every Sunday, rain or shine, minus 11 degrees or plus 105, we were always there. We were always there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Avraham Kornfeld said at the gathering that the group, which typically ended by singing \u201cHatikvah\u201d and reciting the names of the hostages, often drew engagement from passersby on Boulder\u2019s Pearl Street Mall.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes we hear a lot of heckling, and sometimes \u2014 more often, actually \u2014 we hear a lot of thumbs up and little claps and \u2018Yay, we\u2019re with you guys,’\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s a beautiful thing. There\u2019s a lot of support in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Run for Their Lives has vowed to continue until the last of the hostages taken into Gaza return home. There remain 58 hostages in captivity, of whom as many as 23 are alive. Israel has its own organizations dedicated to supporting hostages and their families, but Run For Their Lives is not affiliated with any of them. <\/p>\n
The attack in Boulder injured 15 participants during the local chapter\u2019s most recent weekly event. This Sunday\u2019s walk will take place as planned but under heavy police protection. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not be deterred or stopped by this kind of action,\u201d Bruce Shaffer, a leader of the Boulder chapter, told Times of Israel. \u201cCanceling the march is exactly what these people want us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizers expect high turnout and the group\u2019s Denver chapters will travel to Boulder to participate, according to Weiss.<\/p>\n
The tragedy of the attack has led a wave of solidarity far beyond Colorado, in some cases appearing to revamp chapters that had become inactive more than a year and a half into the war.<\/p>\n
For example, the chapter for Los Angeles\u2019 Pico Robertson and Fairfax neighborhoods, which are heavily Jewish, had lost the critical mass needed to keep the weekly walks going. But on Wednesday, the administrator for the chapter\u2019s WhatsApp group said it might be time to bring it back. <\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last few days, I\u2019ve had many, many people ask to join the group,\u201d the administrator wrote.<\/p>\n
For others, however, the violence has had the opposite effect. In Sacramento, California, the local Run for Their Lives chapter has gone quiet. A group member responding to a JTA inquiry said they don\u2019t feel safe restarting it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used to walk every week. We haven\u2019t done it for a while. Now, after what happened in Boulder, I personally don\u2019t feel it\u2019s safe to walk as a group,\u201d the group member wrote.<\/p>\n
In the wake of the Boulder attack, the movement\u2019s global leadership initially urged chapters to pause their weekly events. But an emotional outpouring from participants, with many expressing a deep need to gather in a moment of crisis, led the leadership to reconsider, according to Weiss. <\/p>\n
Weiss said each chapter has been encouraged to assess local risks and determine for themselves whether to hire security or take other precautions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided that you have to know your community,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to know where you live, and you have to understand what people can tolerate \u2014 then base your decision on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, the only formal security guidance from the organization has been to exercise more caution with communications and to screen who is allowed into messaging groups, she added.<\/p>\n
Weiss hopes the surge of interest in Run for Their Lives continues.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, the attention is coming because of what happened,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we don\u2019t want this to be a flash in the pan. We want people to commit. All we\u2019re asking for is 20 minutes a week.\u201d<\/p>\n
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