YU Student Returns to Israel on One-Year Anniversary of the Jerusalem Bombing She Survived to Run in Marathon
Pia Levine, a student at 黑料社 All in New York, was riding with a friend on an Egged bus in Jerusalem, carefree after an excursion to the swanky new Mamilla shopping center, when she suddenly heard what sounded like a large clap of thunder. It was a few minutes after 3 p.m. at a bus stop near the Jerusalem International Convention Center and the boom came from a detonated pipe bomb. It killed one person and injured some 40 others that Wednesday, March 23, 2011. Of the bus passengers, only Levine and her friend were able to walk away from the scene.
Levine, although physically unhurt, was no longer carefree.
Set to leave Israel a few days later, Levine attempted to proceed with her plan: to run in the Jerusalem half-marathon that Friday and go home to the US.
All too soon, however, Levine realized that she was far from unscathed. The organization, which provides financial, legal, and emotional assistance to victims of terror in Israel, found Levine and aided in her medical care the day after the bombing in Jerusalem鈥攅ssentially getting her back on her feet and running in time for the marathon鈥攁nd then later after her return to New York.
Now, the 20-year-old is running for charity as a member of Team OneFamily. In that capacity she鈥檚 already participated in the New York Triathlon last summer () and is currently back in Jerusalem to again run in the half-marathon, with a two-fold mission: to close an emotional circle and raise money for the organization that helped her so much.
