Anna Harari immigrated to Israel from France to perform national service. It was there that she met the love of her life, Shmuel, who had also made aliyah — arriving as a lone soldier from the United States. Together, they built a family.
When the war broke out, Shmuel was called up for reserve duty. From that moment until he fell in battle on Simchat Torah, one year after the October 7 massacre, he was rarely home.
With Shmuel away on duty, Anna decided to join a running group—not only to clear her mind in his absence but also to fulfill an old dream of hers: her love of running. A few days before Rosh Hashanah, Anna, Shmuel and their children traveled to her family in Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday. While there, they managed to go for a run together. “We were in Jerusalem, and it was the first and last time we ever ran together,” she recalls.
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Anna Harari and her children, holding a photo of her fallen soldier husband Shmuel
(Photo: Effie Sharir)
Shortly afterward, Shmuel was called up for a fourth round of reserve duty—this time in Lebanon. He never returned. On Friday, Anna will run in the Jerusalem Marathon, retracing her last run with her husband.
Anna, 32, Shmuel, who was 35 when he fell, and their three children—Idan, 9, Gabriel, 7, and Yael, 3, lived in Safed. Anna is studying medicine there and is set to complete her degree in the coming months. “We didn’t run together often,” she says, “but I started running again when he was in the reserves. A few days before Rosh Hashanah we were in Jerusalem with my parents and we went for a run together. It wasn’t something we did much.”
“Then, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Shmuel got another call-up notice. It was his fourth time being deployed,” she continues. “He came home for Chol Hamoed Sukkot, and that was the last time we were together.”
Shmuel Harari fell in battle in Lebanon alongside Mordechai Amoyal, Shlomo Aviad Neiman, Shuval Ben-Natan, and Guy Ben-Harush.
Last Friday, Anna ran in the Agmon Hula Crane Race, and she is now preparing to run 10 kilometers in the Jerusalem Marathon. “Since I made aliyah, my life hasn’t been easy—but I’m not looking for an easy life,” she says. “Being a new immigrant is no small challenge. Studying medicine in a language that isn’t my mother tongue is also difficult. And now, losing Shmuel has made it even harder. Life is anything but calm."
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“My husband's sticker says: ‘There are no hardships, only experiences.’ That’s how we lived our lives,” she adds. “When I met Shmuel, I was unsure whether to stay in Israel. I’m here because of him. I told him I wasn’t willing to pay a personal price for this war—I wish none of this had happened. But if I hadn’t moved to Israel, I wouldn’t have met Shmuel, and I wouldn’t have my three children, who are the greatest gift of my life.
“We met because of the Land of Israel, and we parted because of it,” Anna says. “I will think of him while I run, just as I think of him every day. After going through something like this, I feel like I can overcome anything. I run for him.”
A message of strength and choosing life
Anna and her three children are receiving support from the Koby Mandell Foundation, which has been assisting bereaved families for over 20 years. Their connection to the organization goes back years—at 16, Shmuel worked as a counselor at the foundation’s summer camp, helping children who had lost loved ones.
Anna will run with a group from the Mandell Foundation. Her children will take part in the family run in memory of their father. “The kids are looking forward to putting on the shirt with their dad’s picture on it,” Anna shares. “He was the perfect father to them. They created so many shared memories and spent quality time together; Shmuel always made sure to be present for them.”
Eliana Brenner-Mandel, CEO of the Koby Mandell Foundation, said, “Anna and the entire Harari family are very dear to us. Shmuel was a beloved counselor we will never forget, and we are doing our best to support bereaved families. Anna’s run, along with the participation of others from our organization in the Jerusalem Marathon, sends a clear message—one of resilience and choosing life.”
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion added: “I was deeply moved to hear from Anna that her last run with Shmuel was here in Jerusalem—the city that unites all Jews. We are honored to host Anna and her children as they run in his memory, and Jerusalem will always hold Shmuel in its heart.
"This year, as in the past, the Jerusalem Marathon will draw many soldiers, reservists, security personnel, bereaved families, and families of hostages—all running together in prayer and hope for better days,” he concluded.