42nd annual NYC Marathon Minyan Previewed with Peter Berkowsky

This coming Sunday is the New York City Marathon. For the 42nd year in a row, they will have an international minyan for New York City Marathoners. Wow. It started in 1983, the international minyan. See, in those days it was a minyan. Almost literally, one minyan had barely 10 people. I don't know if Peter agrees with me, we'll ask him in a minute. That's how it started. And we I mean, if they're doing this since '83, we probably put them on the air in '84. We're probably doing these interviews about the New York City Marathon minyan since 1984, I bet. Services are in a 600 square foot tent on Drum Road, just a short distance inside the main entrance to the Fort Wadsworth staging area on Staten Island. For those of you who don't know, the New York City Marathon starts on Staten Island. The first service begins at 6:45 and subsequent services follow as soon as a new minyan gathers. You see what I mean, folks? It used to be a minyan. Now they've advanced to the point that they're a minyan factory. One after the other after the other. Amazing. Uh there's no checking personal items, so they're asking and it's funny, in the old days you had to bring your own tallis and tefillin. And that a system, you know, worked out to pick it up at the end of the race. Now they're asking you not to bring anything and there'll be an ample supply of tefillin, tallisim and siddurim. Peter Berkowsky is a real pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> It's always a privilege to speak with you, Nachman. And as I told you earlier in the week, um I'm giving up my morning swim to talk to you this morning. >> I thought >> But you know, I I do a half mile swim five mornings a week, but I only get to talk to you once a year. So it was a no-brainer. >> Well, I appreciate I still feel guilty about it. So, you hear what I have to say, you went from a minion to a minion factory at this point. Imagine that. >> Right. Well, we call it uh we call it rolling minyan. >> Right. No, I get it. >> as one ends, another one starts. In fact, we we announced that the first one will be at 6:45. We get up at 3:00 in the morning to get there because we have to be on the post uh by 4:30. Um and we announced it for 6:45, but you know, by 6:30, there's enough people there and they want to start on their own. Right. So, Go ahead. >> Yeah, whenever they start, they start. So, uh I mean, obviously, this has grown like crazy. Uh can I assume that anybody from around the world who's interested in the minyan knows about this at this point? >> Uh we always have new people each year. Um and it's it's mostly word of mouth. >> Right. >> people are runners, they go back home, they tell their Jewish friends about it, and it's it's one of the unique features of the New York City Marathon. >> going to say, I can't imagine any of these other millions of marathons around the world have it except maybe maybe Jerusalem. Maybe Jerusalem. >> the Jerusalem Marathon, I mean, you can always find a minyan before before running in Jerusalem, but there's nothing like this. I got to tell you a story uh that happened this year. I had an interesting exchange with ChatGPT. >> Yeah. >> Okay? And uh you know, we always used to claim ourselves to be the longest-established religious service of any kind at any major sporting event anywhere in the world. Right. So, I decided to ask ChatGPT, is that an accurate statement? So, they wrote back immediately and said, well, that is what the minyan claims, but it's it's true and it's not true. And this is the answer that I expected them to give me. They pointed out that the modern Olympic Games which started in 1896 >> Right. >> has had a Catholic mass every year for Catholic athletes from around the world, okay? >> Yeah. >> Um and so in a way, that's an older a lot more long-established than ours. >> Yeah, but But it wasn't >> So I immediately wrote back and I said, "Well, there have been Olympiads in the in the modern era. >> And some were canceled, by the way. >> And three of those games were canceled for war. 1916, 1940, 1944. >> Right. >> So, in effect, there've only been 30 modern Olympic games. >> And not in consecutive years. >> Okay. And we've been doing ours for more than 40 years. >> Right. >> So, I said, "Suppose we change our claim to read the most frequently recurring religious service of any kind at any major sporting event anywhere in the world." And they immediately wrote back and said, "That is a perfectly accurate statement." >> But I would say it differently, the longest-running annual service. It's the longest-running annual service. And I like the word running, by the way, for the marathon. The longest-running annual service. That's what it is, right? You know, the longest-running annual service. >> But they agreed with me and I feel kind of funny telling people this story because, you know, I'm bragging about being patted on the back by a robot. >> No, I get that, but I'm but now I'm Sigils offering you a better suggestion than the robot, by the way. >> We'll We'll take that into consideration. >> I certainly hope so. Peter Berkowsky's with us, him and his royal Davidson are coordinating everything for the minion that's happening on Sunday. If you want information, you literally could email Peter. He'll bring you up-to-date on everything, especially if you're a runner or you're a family member of somebody who's a runner. Peter Berkowsky, spell it like it sounds, Peter [email protected]. He used to get a lot of media interest in the minion. Uh did that still happen? I know that 3 years ago, obviously, I don't know if it was 3 years ago, 2 years ago, but whatever, you know, after October 7th, yeah, it was 3 years ago. After October 7th, there was even more attention than usual. What about this year? Do you expect people to be paying attention? >> We still get a lot of media attention, but the Road Runners, New York Road Runners, is very strict on security. So, in order to get media credentials, you have to actually start the application process around Labor Day. >> Oh, wow. >> So, so we're we're still getting last-minute requests, you know, and we say, you know, it's just it's up to New York Road Runners, but you have to deal with them. But, we are pleased that there are a growing number of Jewish-related charity teams that are running each year. And I'll just give you a partial list of the ones that are participating this year. American Committee for Shaare Zedek, American Friends of ALYN Hospital, The Blue Card, Friendship Circle Brooklyn, Friendship Circle International, Israel Cancer Research Fund, Karen Or, the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation, the running club Nice Jewish Runners, Save a Child's Heart USA, Team Shalva, Sharsheret, and a new team this year, United Hatzalah. So, we're always And a lot of the these teams have their own tents, but their team members, they sort of gravitate to our tent, whether they want to join us for davening or whether they want to just hang out with other Jewish runners from around the world. They're all welcome. >> And you literally have enough fill-in and tallis and prayer for everybody. >> Absolutely. For for lefties, for righties, for Sephardim, for Ashkenazim, whatever you need, we have it. >> Unbelievable. And what nusach do they daven? Is that up to the person who leads the daven? >> That's up to it's up to whoever's leading that particular minyan. >> I love it. The What does the last group take off for the race? Do you have any idea when they when they leave? >> I think the last wave takes off around 11:00. And the first one is >> still could be a 9:00 9:30 minion. >> Oh, sure. Sure. We We just want people to leave 45 minutes after that their minion to get to their starting corrals. But but we'll run we'll have minion time available from 6:45 all the way till 11:00, you know. >> What are the chances that a Jewish runner will win the race, Peter? Come on. Lay it on Lay it on me, Peter. >> Not too good, but we we've had some a lot of sub 3-hour runners and we're very proud of them. >> What's the record? Like 2:10 in that area? Something like that? 2:08? >> I think it's 2:06 2:07. >> think there's anybody at the minion who ever beat 2:30? Do you think that's that's it's possible that you had a 2:30 somewhere? >> Uh yes, we did. >> You definitely had at least one 2:30 or better. >> Yeah, I think it would we had somebody run 2:17. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> That's unbelievable. >> Yeah. >> That's really amazing. So nobody from Kenya has a Jewish mother in your opinion. >> Oh, don't say that. There are There are Ethiopians in in Israel. >> Right. >> who are world-class marathoners. >> So there are there are Jewish people who could win this thing. >> And there are women in Israel who have run in the Olympics. >> And they could win the women's portion. >> It's It's quite possible. It's quite possible. >> Wow. So this is not a joke. This is We really >> Absolutely not. >> We really could have We could have a tribe member who comes comes away with the with first place. All right. >> Mhm. And there's like over 50,000 runners, you know, that's why they have to have so many different waves. Um and um it's very still it's very hard to get into the marathon. And they do have this legacy rule so that if you run nine or 10 marathons already, New York marathons, then you can get an automatic invitation. So that's why we have so many of our old-timers can keep coming back each year, but it's it's hard to get in. The easiest way to get in is with one of the charity teams. >> Right. >> Uh you have to commit to raising, I don't know, $3,000 for for the charity. Um and there's specific rules on and govern that. But um we had probably over 350 people last year. >> Unbelievable. The whole thing is such a big kudos to Kolokotrones. >> It's very exciting. >> Now if you could only do something about the traffic around New York that day, that'd be really good. >> Well, you know, I I go back to the the the New York Marathon started in uh >> Central Park. >> In Central Park, uh I think in 1970. >> Right. >> No, Roger. >> And it was four times around the park. >> Right. >> Four loops. >> Right. >> And then in 1976 for the Bicentennial Fred Lebow came up with this idea. He went to Mayor Beame and he said um "How would you like to close the city down for a day and we'll make the marathon a five-borough affair?" >> Right. >> Well, the the police commissioner and the fire commissioner were absolutely against it. But Mayor Beame said, "Yeah, that might be a good idea." And Fred was a great salesman. And um you know, this is now an event that brings in millions of dollars in revenue every year to New York City. Hotels and restaurants and and transportation and everything. So it's a big >> Pasta parties. >> I'm sorry? >> Pasta parties. Fred was a genius. He really was. And and as a result of that, he became a consultant for major marathons in in in large cities all around the world. >> Wow. >> and even the Olympics, they would always consult with Fred Bow on on arrangements. >> A beam Jewish mayor responsible for the marathon. >> That's true. >> Peter, thank you. Good luck Sunday. >> Thank you very much, Nachum. >> The minyan is on, folks. In fact, this year the minyan factory, or as Peter says, the rolling minyan is on at the New York City Marathon. Information [email protected] or go to the website the marathonminyan.com. The marathonminyan.com. More coming up. You're listening to J M in the A.M.