Johannesburg to Jerusalem run marks 77 years of Israel

The South African Zionist Federation hosted a symbolic 7.7km Johannesburg to Jerusalem unity run through the streets of Johannesburg on 25 May 2025, marking Jerusalem Day and celebrating 77 years since the founding of Israel.

Jerusalem Day celebrates the reunification and centrality of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel and the Jewish people. For thousands of years, Jerusalem has been at the heart of Jewish identity, history, and faith. Today, it stands not only as Israel’s capital, but as a city of religious tolerance, home to the three major monotheistic religions, where freedom of worship is protected and respected.

The run created a powerful symbolic bridge between two great cities: Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic capital and home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities outside Israel, and Jerusalem, the spiritual centre of the Jewish world.

More than 50 runners from diverse backgrounds participated, carrying South African and Israeli flags in a display of solidarity, unity, and shared values. The 7.7km distance, representing 77 years of Israel’s existence, symbolically connected the streets of Johannesburg with the ancient pathways of Jerusalem, demonstrating that geographical distance cannot diminish the bonds of shared heritage and common purpose.