Front Row - Rachel Neiman (Boston Creamed) and Noah Pitt (Swamp Monster)

Middle Row - Hildy Karev (Seaman), Tom Ray (Outrigger), Maureen Karassik (Twin Peaks), Avi Pronkhurrt (Dr. do-little), Judith Golding (Goldmember) and Andy Pitt (Diablo)

Third Row - Margaret Ben Shoshan, Christine Getzler-Vaughn.

Sometimes I just don’t know what I get myself into. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m turning 50 in a few months, maybe it’s just my adventurous spirit, but one thing its definite – I’m having fun and getting better at it every time.

I come from a family of runners, but truthfully, I’ve never liked to run. My father, Jack Applebaum, was one of the first runners that started to run in the early 70s. I remember the whole Applebaum family running in Park Ha’yarkon on Friday afternoons. But since then, I’ve found every excuse in the book not to run. Until now – when running suddenly got to be fun.

It all started four months ago when my friend Margaret Ben-Shoshan asked me if I would like to join her at the Holyland Hasher’s group. What is that? I asked. It’s a group of people who run on Saturday afternoons, and then we drink beer. You do what? I said. Oh, yeah and sometimes we run in red dresses, or other fun costumes. This I had to see for myself, tell me when and I’m there.

The Holyland Hashers, officially known as the Hash House Harriers (H3) have been running in Israel since 1993. Part of a wide network of over 1,700 groups around the world, it is described as a social, non-competitive running and drinking club. Hashing has frequently been described as ‘a drinking club with a running problem’ and the social element is of equal importance to the running. I like to refer to it as a group of adolescents that refuse to grow up. There are Hash groups (known as Kennels) in every major city and country in the world.

The format of the Hash run is loosly designed around a Hares and the hound hunt. Where one or more of the hashers (the "hares") lays out a running trail that the rest of the club (the Hounds”) tries to find. The trail is laid out with flour blobs indicating the direction of the run. The trail may include false trails, designated breaks and a half way circle. These features are designed to keep the pack together regardless of fitness levels or running speed. (I always seem to be at the back of the group but I’m assured that things will improve in time). The runners or “hounds” follow the trail from check to check, searching the surrounding terrain to attempt to find the continuation of the trail. A well-laid check will have the effect of allowing slower runners to catch up and rejoin the main group, while the faster runners try to find the trail again.

According to Wikipedia on the subject, Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938, when a casual group of British colonial officials and expatriates, Cecil Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Ronald "Torch" Bennett and a British accountant of Catalan descent, Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert (A.S. Gispert), would meet after work on Monday evenings to run, following a paper trail thru’ Kuala Lumpur trying to run off the excess of the past weekend. Thoughout the years many traditions and additions have been added to this activity, one of which is the assigning, in a secret ceremony, of nick-names to the hashing members. Furthermore, after each run when the beer is consumed, the “Down-Down ceremony begins where runners are rewarded or punished for keeping or breaking the Hashing traditions.

The Saturday Holyland Hash is known as a Family Hash (there is a Thursday night group too, more ranchy than the Saturday group). According to Avi Pronkhorst, ( Dr. Dolittle) a long time immigrant from Kfar Saba and the most veteran member of the group,  We are there to enjoy ourselves. This isn’t a workout. We run, but we have walkers too. We do drink beer at the end, which is all part of the tradition, but we don’t serve alcohol to the children. And we do have soft drinks if someone only wants a little bit of beer for the ceremony.”

Many of the Holyland HHH members come from English speaking countries – expatriates, diplomats and immigrants, but there are also a few native-born Israelis who are long time members. "You have to understand the mentality," says Judith Golding, a sabra Hasher from Kochav Yair who goes by the name of ‘Goldmember’. "I lived in London for 20 years and my husband is British, so I'm used to this craziness." Generally no membership or reservations are required to join a group, and typically all that is needed is to find out the time and location of the start; either by emailing a current member, or viewing the group website. At the start of every run there is a quick review of the up-coming Hash; introductions are made and the system of Hash marks is explained to new and visiting guests.

For some, the group is a point of continuity as they relocate from posting to posting, and visiting Hashers often contact the group through their website to find out where the next run will be. "Hashing is a great way to see a country, especially parts you wouldn't ordinarily visit," says Dolittle. "It puts you in touch with people so you have an automatic social group. I get contacted regularly by people coming to Israel. Personally, in the last four months since I started with the group I have met some really interesting people who were just Hassing thru Israel from Vietnam, Australia, New York and Oregon. All of them ‘Hashed’ in their permanent countries and have come to join us on our Saturday run. Once you learn the principles it’s really fun to pick up clubs and meet the locals.

So, that is how I found myself on a wintry Saturday afternoon in Kfar Saba with my friend Margaret ready to embark on a renewed running career. It’s been a few months now, and my running has gotten much better. I actually really like it, and I’ve met a wonderful group of people who all share a sense of silliness and exercise that I highly recommend. I’ve done the 10K Kfar Saba run and I have also done the Ramat Aviv 10K run. If you want to get into shape, and meet wonderful people in the process please give us a call.

The Holyland Hash House Harriers meets at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoons in or around Tel Aviv. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome. For more information contact Avi "Dr. Dolittle" Pronkhorst, Tel: 09 767 1029, Mobile: 054 445 3106, email: scb.avi@gmail.com, or visit: http://www.holylandhhh.blogspot.com