For the first time in history, Israel has fielded a bobsled team for the Winter Olympics, set to take place at the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Leading the team is American-Israeli AJ Edelman, who has dedicated years of hard work and personal sacrifice to make this milestone possible. He even organized fundraising efforts to acquire the resources necessary for the competition.
Edelman is also notable for being the first Orthodox Jew to compete in the Winter Olympics, having represented Israel in the one-man skeleton sled event during the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The team humorously adopted the name “Shul Runnings,” inspired by the 1993 comedy film “Cool Runnings,” about the Jamaican bobsled team, with “shul” referring to the Yiddish word for synagogue.
The team’s journey has garnered international attention, yet they have encountered challenges along the way. During the opening ceremony in Milan, sections of the crowd greeted the Israeli delegation with loud boos. Shortly thereafter, while training in the Czech Republic, the team experienced another setback when their apartment was robbed, resulting in the theft of their passports, equipment, shoes, and thousands of dollars worth of belongings. Despite these difficulties, the team remains determined to proudly represent Israel.
Shul Runnings comprises a diverse group of athletes: Menachem Chen, a former discus thrower; Omer Katz, a former sprinter; Uri Zisman, a former pole vaulter; and Ward Fawarseh, a former rugby player. Fawarseh’s involvement is particularly noteworthy, as he is Druze and could become the first Druze athlete to compete for Israel at the Winter Olympics, symbolizing an important moment of representation for the Druze community.
The team is scheduled to compete in the two-man bobsled heats on February 16 and 17, with Edelman and Chen piloting the sled, followed by the four-man competition on February 21 and 22. As they prepare to carry Israel’s flag onto the ice, the hopes for safety and success for Team Israel reflect their resilience and courage as they take center stage on this international platform.