Tehiyah Day School eighth-graders Noam Marcus (left) and Yonatan Sadi run in the Oakland Running Festival’s 5K.

Among the thousands taking part in the recent Oakland Running Festival were 75 parents, teachers, administrators and students from El Cerrito’s Tehiyah Day School. Their goal: to raise money for the school’s annual trip to Israel for eighth-graders.

All of the money raised is going into a new fund that will help ensure the long-term viability of the Israel trip; donations are still being accepted at www.tehiyah.givezooks.com. As of this week, more than $32,000 had been raised.

But running in the March 25 event proved to be much more than just a financial success. “What I saw was a feeling of togetherness,” Tehiyah parent Adam Mizock said. “It was a healthy way to be together, and to see 9-year-old kids and 72-year-old grandmothers lined up with that look of expectation.”