South Jersey Magazine - Gloucester County / Newsstand

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SJM_PEOPLE_Rabbi_Ben_David_0220_Reg4_Dept 3 / 3 / 20 3 : 50 PM Page 1 RABBI BEN DAVID WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN Paying it research , feeding the hungry , cancer research and more , ” David says . For his actions , David was the recip - Forward ient of the People’s Choice Award at the Katz Jewish Community Center’s CANCER SURVIVOR RABBI BEN DAVID GIVES BACK annual Sports Award Dinner this past December with his wife Lisa and chil - TO OTHERS THROUGH THE POWER OF RUNNING . dren Noa , Elijah and Samuel by his side . by Julie Shannon We spoke to David about his life - fter beating cancer , some changing cancer diagnosis , his need for take it easy and relish life . change and dedication to caring and A For Rabbi Ben David of providing for others . Adath Emanu - El in Mount Laurel , he relished life alright , but did anything Being diagnosed with cancer … . . but sit back and take it in . The Cherry I was diagnosed with non - Hodgkin’s Hill resident started to run again — a lymphoma in January 2016 , the day passion of his — and has raised money after my 39th birthday . I was put on a and spread awareness for the Amer - pretty extreme treatment plan at UPenn ican Cancer Society , Leukemia & and went through multiple rounds of Lymphoma Society and other organi - chemotherapy and radiation . It was a zations , all in the name of helping very difficult time for my family and I . It other people . was a time of uncertainty , my kids were That’s David’s mission , and has anxious , and at the same time there was been since a young age . He grew up in another side to the coin . I felt so much Cherry Hill with two younger brothers love from the community , friends and and is the son of a rabbi . family . People I went to high school and “ I got to see up close that a rabbi elementary school with reached out gets to make a difference in people’s through Facebook with such kindness lives and that rabbis have the opportu - and support , it was just incredible . nity to be with people on days that are I was given a clean bill of health the both incredibly challenging and days following summer and felt very fortu - of great joy , ” the 43 - year - old says . nate . If it had to be , it should be RABBI BEN DAVID AFTER COMPLETING “ Even though I saw early on it was a someone in my situation where I was in THE NEW JERSEY hard life , I also saw it would be a very good health , I was young , I had access to MARATHON LAST YEAR rewarding life . I knew from the time I great doctors , access to Penn Medicine was a teenager that this was some - and all sorts of people who are ready to thing that spoke to me . I just knew there were so many parts of this life that spoke to guide and advise me . I was well aware of me and I still feel that way . ” the fact that not everyone has access to He is a community leader in a number of ways , instilling compassion , kindness such astute and thoughtful people . and love of Judaism to his congregation at Adath Emanu - El , and outside of his syna - gogue he is bringing people together to spread awareness of cancer and achieve How he developed a passion for social justice — all through running . running … . He has run 19 marathons , and next fall he is running his fifth New York City I started running in middle school . My Marathon with the help of fellow rabbis and leaders of different faiths . His goal is youngest brother is a terrific runner and to get 50 clergy members from around the country to run with him to coincide has been a good running partner and with the 50th anniversary of the New York race . This time around , the cause he and an inspiration . My dad was a runner as his group are running together to support is gun violence prevention . well . From early on I liked the very raw Organizing a group of clergy members is nothing new to David , as he and fellow and straightforward aspect of running . rabbi Scott Weiner established Running Rabbis in 2005 , which brings together clergy It’s you versus you . It’s you versus nature to enact positive change in the world . “ We’ve raised valuable funds for autism and the elements . It’s not about gear or SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 16 issue 12 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 36 |

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SJM_PEOPLE_Rabbi_Ben_David_0220_Reg4_Dept 3 / 3 / 20 3 : 50 PM Page 2 DAVID WITH HIS SON ELIJAH AFTER COMPLETING money — you get back what you put in . I Why he chose to run for gun THE STAMP OUR just took a liking to it , found out I was violence prevention … . HUNGER 5K IN SEPTEMBER good at it and ran through high school There is an epidemic of gun violence in and college . our society . We’re the only nation in the world with more guns than people and there’s such preventable violence in our How one marathon turned into 19 … . . country playing out just about every After a little hiatus from running , one of day — from suicide and incidents like my friends said to me , why don’t we try domestic violence , to mass shootings at running a marathon ? We ran the New our schools . We can do better . A vast Jersey Marathon in 2003 and it was majority of Americans support painful and brutal . I said never again , universal background checks and closing and I’ve now run 19 marathons , various including the Boston Marathon twice , loopholes that exist in the realm of the New York City Marathon four times , legislation . It feels like we should all be [ Rock ‘ n ’ Roll ] Las Vegas Marathon and doing more . [ Rock ‘ n ’ Roll ] San Diego Marathon . I just I have a network of fellow rabbis who and humbling to stand up in front of love it . I love that it’s my own personal also run in the name of social justice and hundreds of people and share my story time ; there’s something very raw about it . we bring together a big group of us in this and accept this award . I was honored . I shared cause from across the country . The am proud to be a part of the tight - knit hope at the moment is to bring together Jewish community of South Jersey , and How running has changed his life … . 50 clergy members to run at the NYC especially in today’s day and age we feel The older I get , the more complicated Marathon in the fall , which would be the a need to wear our Judaism with great ife becomes , [ yet ] somehow I love run - l 50th NYC Marathon . It would be amazing . pride and distinction . There are those ning more and feel I really need it , and I even in this country who don’t look very feel good at the fact I’ve been able to use favorable onto our community ; some running for good — as a vehicle to raise On being recognized at the JCC’s who are anti - Semitic . To combat that money for important causes like cancer Sports Award Dinner … . with a love of Judaism and Judaism of research , especially the Leukemia & It was really nice to be recognized by compassion , kindness and justice — I’m Lymphoma Society , research on autism the community and it was a wonderful trying to instill [ that ] in my community or providing scholarships for kids to go night to share with Joel Embiid , Elton n and my kids all the time . to camp . Brand and Al Horford . It felt gratifying SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 16 issue 12 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 37

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