Jon Kowal

About Jon:

My wife, Sara and I made Aliyah in 1982 and lived in Israel until 1989. Baruch Hashem we returned on our "2nd" Aliyah in 2006 from Boca Raton, Florida and are living very fulfilling lives in Yad Binyamin.
All our three children are living in Israel: our son Michael in Yad Binyamin, Shoshan and her husband Shmayaa and two daughters in Bnai Ayish and Kayla and her husband Gabi and their new born son in Jerusalem. I am currently in job transition having worked in the telecommunications industries for the past 17 years with positions in process engineering, marketing and product management. Most recently worked for AT&T for the past 11 years.
I am a dedicated runner having completed 3 marathons and 3 half marathons in Israel after returning in 2006.


About Sderot:

I visited Sderot with in mission organized by my former synagogue - The Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS), after returning to Israel in 2006. Former members of BRS, Mort and Judy Zemel dedicated a school Beit Knesset plus Sefer Torah. We met with the mayor and were given a tour of the town viewing the recent destruction. We were very impressed by the courage of the residents we met, who were determined to stay in Sderot despite the constant missile attacks. When we tried to organize Purim seudot in Sderot before the Cast Lead Shield operation, our contact graciously refused since they were concerned with our safety.
Now I trust running with Connections Israel in the 2010 Jerusalem Half Marathon, that the funds raised through my participation from friends and family, can in some small way contribute to the well being of those young boys and girls who are reaching a very special milestone in their lives