Koby Mandell
Koby MandellKoby Mandell Foundation

The Koby Mandell Foundation is proud to announce Kilometers for Koby, a five day hike along the Israel Trail starting on May 22. The trek will begin in the Tel Dan National Park in the North, and make its way through the Dishon Canyon and peak of Mount Meron in the height of spring. The final day of the hike will lead the group through the Judean Mountains to the edge of Jerusalem - the capital of the Jewish homeland.

“Koby loved to hike and explore the land of Israel,” said Rabbi Seth Mandell, father of Koby and co-founder of the foundation. “We thought this would be a fitting way to remember him and benefit others who have been forced to confront tragedy.”

The goal of this latest program is to help fund Camp Koby - youth camps run throughout the year attended by 300 children whose lives have been affected by terror. The camp sessions provide therapeutic activities like hiking, swimming, yoga and art therapy and allow the children to be “normal kids” among those who understand what they are feeling.

Other foundation programs to benefit from the hike include mothers' and widows' healing groups which help women whose husbands or children have been killed, and nurtures them physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Kilometers for Koby comes on the heels another unique fundraiser for the foundation - the Comedy for Koby Tour, which brings laughter twice a year in the form of standup comedy. With the help of Los Angeles based comedian, Avi Liberman, major members of the US comedic world from screen and stage have been coming to Israel to perform and help raise funds for the Foundation.

The Koby Mandell Foundation works with over 1,000 bereaved parents, children and siblings to re-build their lives and create meaning out of suffering. The foundation was formed after Koby, 13, along with his friend Yosef Ish-Ran, were murdered by terrorists in May 2001 while hiking in the canyon behind the Mandell’s home in Tekoa.