In the cool waters off New York City, amid the churning currents around Manhattan, an Israeli woman swims wearing a cap that reads in English: “You will never swim alone.” Alongside her glides a boat flying flags bearing the face of a 24-year-old whose life was cut short in a single, terrible moment of war against a ruthless enemy.
A few weeks ago, Debbie Chitiz boarded a plane from Israel to New York with a mission: to swim 28.5 miles around Manhattan in the 20 Bridges marathon swim — one of the most challenging open-water events in the world. For Debbie, it is far more than a sporting feat; it is a deeply personal journey for a bereaved mother swimming in memory of her son, killed in war.
Debbie, mother of Capt. Yaron Chitiz, who was killed in Gaza, takes part in a swim around Manhattan in his memory
(Video: Courtesy of the family)
Capt. Yaron (Eliezer) Chitiz was killed in combat in Gaza City’s Daraj-Tuffah district on Dec. 26, 2023, just a week before his 24th birthday. When the force he commanded in the Givati Brigade’s Shaked Battalion encountered five Hamas gunmen in a building, the young officer opened fire — sacrificing his life to save all the soldiers beside him.
The day after the seven-day mourning period for her son ended, Debbie returned to the water.
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Capt. Yaron Chitiz — in his death, he saved the lives of his soldiers
(Photo: The Smiling Soldiers Project)
“Swimming in the sea helped me cope with the unbearable grief,” she says. “The long hours of solitude in open water give me time to think — about the good, the bad, about everything. I call the water ‘my office’ — that’s where all my thoughts take shape, where all my speeches are ‘written.’”
A professional open-water swimmer, Debbie organized a swim event in Israel last year in her son’s memory. Two months ago, she crossed the Sea of Galilee from north to south — over 12 miles — and now she has taken on her greatest challenge yet: more than 28 miles around Manhattan.
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Debbie during the swim, alongside a boat flying the Israeli flag and bearing Yaron’s photo
Why Manhattan? “Because it’s an enormous challenge. It’s a dream I’ve had for five years. Why now? Because since Yaron’s death, everything has changed. There’s life before and life after. Today I live by what makes me feel good — and the water is my refuge.”
She also carries a sweet memory: “I brought Yaron to New York City when he was nine, and this swim reminds me of that trip.”
Never alone
Since the Yaroni Swim in October 2024, Debbie has worn only one swim cap — a special one printed in memory of her son. “He’s with me all the time,” she says. “Yaron loved the water and was proud of my swimming achievements — he told me so. He even spoke about my swims with his soldiers during their night marches to help keep them awake.”
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Debbie (right) with her swimming partner Anat Achimeir Eshchar, holding a flag with Yaron’s photo; 'Yaron is always with me'
And she is not swimming alone. Alongside her is Anat Achimeir Eshchar, from the Tel Baruch Open Water Swimmers group, where Debbie also trains. “This group helps me cope with the immense loss,” she explains. “The water has always helped me face any challenge. And like it says on my cap — ‘You’ll never swim alone’ — thanks to my friends in the water, I am never alone. And Yaron is always with me.”
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The 20 Bridges swim circles Manhattan through the Harlem River, East River and Hudson River. The demanding conditions — strong currents, shifting waves and unpredictable weather — make it one of the toughest mental and physical challenges in open-water swimming. But for Debbie, every wave and current are another way to feel closer to her son.
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Debbie and Anat preparing for the Manhattan swim; 'This group helps me cope with the immense loss'
It is the journey of a mother who has turned grief into strength, and her son’s memory into the drive to keep living. In New York’s restless waters, with her special swim cap and Yaron’s face on the flags of her escort boat, she keeps swimming — not only for herself, but so no one will forget her beloved son, the heroic officer who gave his life for his people and his soldiers.