Businessman Jesse Itzler loves sports and that is why he is a member of the US delegation at the 18th Maccabiah Games which are opening in Israel on Monday evening. He is a member of the men’s master basketball team.

Itzler decided on using his athletic abilities to raise funds for tzedeka, and he ran 160km (100 miles) to raise funds. He explains that he launched an internet site towards raising money with he registered some 1 million visitors and raised $1.5 million.

He held up his end of the bargain too, training for a number of months and then setting off for his 100 mile run in Texas, completing it in 22 hours. “After finishing, I needed to use a wheelchair for a few days to recuperate, but it was worth it”. About $100,000 of the money is being given to Kollel Chabad, and it is going to build a new kindergarten facility in Rishon L’Tzion.

He arrived on Sunday with family members and friends, and in a modest ceremony including Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger Shlita, the money was handed over to Chabad. Also present was Deputy Minister of Education R’ Meir Porush and the head of Kollel Chabad R’ Sholom Duchman. After the ceremony to affix a mezuzah to the new building, the guests headed to Eshel Kollel Chabad in Kiryat Gat to pack boxes for the needy.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)