What is the connection between Beit Daniella, Beatie Deutsch & the Jerusalem Marathon?
It was during the shiva of Daniella, while her mother Hadassa, was immersed in mourning that the idea of Beit Daniella germinated. Then and there, Hadassa vowed that she would create a haven to help save other teens from her daughter’s tragic fate. Although Beit Daniella was still an idea, Daniella and her sister’s friends were determined to help Hadassa to actualize her vision. These youth banded together with a great brainwave - let’s run as a team in the Jerusalem Marathon to raise money to begin to build Beit Daniella!
The only problem was that this was 6 weeks before Marathon day of 2018 and way too late to set up a fundraising platform through the Jerusalem Marathon. Plus, there was no Beit Daniella bank account, as the legal process of establishing a non-profit had not yet been started.
Beatie Deutsch, Hadassah’s determined niece, stepped up to the plate saying, “I will not only run a full marathon for Beit Daniella, I will also open a crowdfunding campaign so that friends and family can donate funds through my own personal account.”
Six weeks later:
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135 runners took off
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Beatie won her first marathon which launched her superstar running career (To see clip, click here)
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Beit Daniella raised enough seed money to start and carry us over until we gained legal status as a non-profit. (That seed money also funded the transformation of an old storeroom in Harei Yehuda into the heart of Beit Daniella, our cozy kitchen.)
The rest is history.
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Beatie Deutsch has become not only Israel’s Marathon Champion multiple times, she has championed Beit Daniella all over the world! Beatie has raised money and awareness for youth mental health, fighting stigma through her celebrated social media platforms.
To learn more about our legendary team leader, Beatie Deutsch, click here.
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The Jerusalem Marathon had become our community’s yearly awareness and fundraising event.
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Best of all, our students, their families and our alumni have joined Beit Daniella’s team and run through the streets of Jerusalem in their Beit Daniella T-shirts, with PRIDE!
The Marathon and Beit Daniella
Beatie wins the marathon
About Beatie Deutsch
Beatie Deutsch is the 4X Israeli national champion in the marathon and half marathon. As a mother of five young children, she has learned to apply her training to the real marathon of life. Although Beatie took up running as a mother of young children she is now training as an elite athlete, representing Israel on the international stage. More than anything else, her journey has empowered her to dream big and keep reaching higher, a message Beatie is passionate about sharing with audiences around the world.
Beatie is more than just a superb athlete. In a world of cutthroat competitive sports, Beatie brings humanity, depth, personal growth, idealism and kindness.
A runner who always champions a higher cause, Beatie broadcasts her unique message on social media and has succeeded in reaching over 40,000 followers from around the world. In a society which emphasizes externals and hides humanity, Beatie stands for authenticity, human struggle and positivity, which is both encouraging and inspiring to her followers.
A Message from Beatie:
“I started running only a few years ago as a way to get back into shape and reclaim part of myself after having 4 children.
People have sometimes asked me what is the connection between Beit Daniella and running. The word I would use is empowerment. Running has empowered me in so many ways. It has allowed me to uncover strengths I never realized I have. The goal of Beit Daniella is to provide a safe and empowering space for teens who are struggling and give them an opportunity to discover their unique gifts. When I think about my cousin Daniella and her story, what saddens me most is that she was so incredibly talented and yet she couldn't appreciate her strengths, she only saw her flaws. She wanted so badly to reintegrate into life after hospitalization, but there was no place for her to go, no place that would absorb, protect and empower her to mainstream back into her world."
Beatie has taken the world by storm, not only by shattering limits in her short running career but through the winning attitude that drives her forward. She is a role model for so many and we are so proud to have Beatie representing Beit Daniella.
