Masai Russell: Confident, Committed to Excellence and Very, Very Fast

The following is an article that I wrote, which appeared in the October-November 2024 edition of Montgomery Magazine: 

Masai Russell won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100-meter hurdles.
Courtesy of USATF.

One one-hundredth of a second. “That’s faster than we can even blink,” says Masai Russell.

For Russell, it was a mere centisecond that changed her life when she won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100-meter hurdles by edging out France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela by one one-hundredth of a second.

The 24-year-old Russell was born in Washington, D.C., and went to high school at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. “Going to high school there, it was honestly an amazing experience,” Russell says. The choice to go to the Montgomery County school “ended up being one of the best decisions I made in my life.”

For the newly crowned Olympic champion, it was her parents that helped set her on a path that propelled her to stardom.

Russell’s mother, Dr. Sharon Russell, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, while her father, Mark, is not only the CEO of her mother’s medical practice; he was also Russell’s first track coach.

“Both of my parents played a major role in my life, throughout my career,” Russell says.

Citing Sharon Russell’s ability to successfully juggle the responsibilities of taking care of her patients and running her medical office, Russell says she gets her work ethic from her mother.

As for her father, “he played a tremendous role in my track career,” Russell says. “He’s really the one that made it happen on the track.”

Russell believes that her involvement in track and the success she has achieved stems from “always being undersized and feeling like you have something to prove.”

She thinks back to her childhood and points to growing up with only brothers as something that continually motivated her.

“I was always doing my best to stay relevant with my brothers, and then when I ended up competing against people that were much bigger than me, faster than me, older than me, I always had a drive within myself to just become great, never stop and get what you want,” Russell says. “I always had a fire within me.”

Masai Russell. Photo by Erica Calhoun.

Russell went to the University of Kentucky, where she shone on the track and excelled in the classroom, including becoming the NCAA record holder in the 100-meter hurdles and earning a spot on the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll multiple times.

“My mindset is if I’m going to be great, I’m going to be great at anything that I do. And academics always come first. Academics is the gateway to be able to compete,” Russell says.

“Track is going to end one day, and you have to have the knowledge in whatever space that you want to end up pursuing … without the education, without the knowledge, then you have nothing … One day, I’m not going to be a track runner, but I’m going to need be something else in life. And if you don’t have that knowledge, then you’re failing yourself,” she adds.

A first-time Olympian, Russell says, “it means the world” and is “pretty unreal” to have had the opportunity to represent the United States in Paris.

“It’s everything that I have dreamed of, everything that I’ve worked for my entire career … it’s such a blessing and such an honor to just compete and be among the best athletes in the world, to be on the boat with LeBron James and Stephen Curry. It’s just like, wow, this is the life that I truly believed that I could have one day, and the fact that I’m living it at such a young age, at 24 years old, when I didn’t even believe I could be an Olympian just three years ago, it’s just crazy. I just say it’s nothing but God.”

As she walked out of the tunnel and onto the Olympic track before the final of the 100-meter hurdles, Russell was incredibly focused.

“I was telling myself, it’s possible, it’s possible, it’s possible,” Russell says, recalling the moments leading up to the race. “I worked hard every day … this is my moment. This is my time.”

“When I walked out, I heard the crowd and I was just so locked in,” she says. “I was thinking, my life can change within the matter of the next 30 seconds … I was just so determined, and I was so poised.”

As she settled into Lane 5, Russell worked hard to keep her emotions in check and not get overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment, reminding herself that in front of her were the same 10 hurdles that are in every race.

When the race got underway, several runners were seemingly in a dead heat. In fact, Russell was not the first one to clear the final hurdle—that was France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Yet, Russell closed strong and surged ahead, crossing the finish line in a blazing 12.33 seconds in a photo finish. After a brief wait, Russell was declared the winner. Samba-Mayela won the silver medal, while Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico took the bronze.

“I came off that last hurdle, and I just sprinted to the line as hard as I could. And once I crossed the line, I knew I was in medal contention, but I didn’t know exactly where … I was just looking up at the board and I was like, ‘come on, come on, show me’ … It was about 10 to 15 seconds. So, it didn’t feel like a lifetime. But it was just long enough that I started to stress out,” Russell says.

“I have worked so hard my entire career and come up short every single time … I’ve never won an NCAA title … I’ve never won an outdoor SEC title. I didn’t win the USA Championships last year … It was like, I had to go through all those hardships, and I had to go through all those tough times to get to where I am now. Honestly, it was a dream come true … I just won the Olympics … no one can take that from me,” Russell says.

Russell competes in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Courtesy of USATF.

Before this track season began, Russell wrote down several goals: Break the indoor world record, become the indoor world champion, win the U.S. Olympic trials, win the Olympics and break the world record. Those are big goals, but for Russell, it is important to identify her objectives, aim high and work hard to try and achieve them.

“Setting goals means everything to me,” she says. “If you’re not striving to be the best ever, it’s just like, why are you doing it? Why are you selling yourself short? … I think the power of the mind, everything that you believe and think, you don’t notice how much of an impact it plays until you truly do it, have faith in it, work in it and manifest it.”

Russell has a huge presence on social media, with more than 1.2 million followers across her various platforms. The Olympic gold medalist believes her massive following is largely attributable to the fact that people appreciate that she promotes herself in a genuine manner that is consistent with who she is as a person.

“I just like to keep it super authentic to who I am … I’m glad that I feel like I do have such a positive impact on … the community … I’ve inspired so many people by just being myself,” she says. “I’m just showing people that even if the end of the tunnel does look dark, just keep going, because you’ll eventually see that light.”

For Russell, her gold medal win in Paris is not the end of her journey, but rather another step in her pursuit of excellence, and she is looking forward to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“The goal right now is to get through world championships for the next two years and then do my thing in LA once again and try to get that title back. ‘Two-time Olympic champ’ has a great ring to it,” she says, noting that she will keep “trying to do the same thing I did this past Olympics, and just keep that good momentum going with a smile on my face and inspiring and impacting those people around me.”

The WJW Podcast: A Conversation With Dr. Michael Oren (9/26/24)

 Dr. Michael Oren served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 2009-2013.

A best-selling author, renowned historian and passionate advocate for Israel, Oren also served in various capacities in the Israel Defense Forces and as a member of Knesset.

On the WJW Podcast, Oren spoke about the various threats facing Israel, the efforts to bring the hostages home, the U.S.-Israel relationship and the rise in global antisemitism.

Israel’s Former Ambassador to the US To Visit DMV Jewish Community

The following is an article that I wrote, which appeared in the September 26, 2024, edition of the Washington Jewish Week:

Dr. Michael Oren speaking to philanthropists at a Jewish National Fund-USA event.
Courtesy of Jewish National Fund-USA.

His resume is impressive, his reputation stellar and his record of accomplishments noteworthy. Dr. Michael Oren, a respected diplomat, best-selling author, renowned historian and passionate advocate for Israel, is scheduled to visit the DMV area and discuss a range of issues pertaining to Israel and the Jewish community.

Oren, who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 2009-2013, is in the midst of a trip to the U.S., where he is partnering with Jewish National Fund-USA, a 123-year-old Zionist organization, and speaking with Jewish communal leaders. Among the topics of conversation include Jewish National Fund-USA’s efforts to rebuild Israeli communities near the Gaza border and addressing the crisis in northern Israel, where thousands of Israelis were forced to leave their homes due to the ongoing threat posed by Hezbollah.

In addition to his tenure as Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Oren’s contributions to the Jewish state include serving in various capacities in the Israel Defense Forces and as a member of Knesset.

The ongoing situation involving the hostages was on Oren’s mind as he spoke with the Washington Jewish Week for a wide-ranging interview.

“We have to try our best to secure the release of the hostages. That is not necessarily a strategic or a military goal — it’s a humanitarian and Zionist and Jewish goal at this point,” he said.

Oren expressed concern about certain perceptions regarding the Israeli government as over 100 hostages remain in captivity.

“Right now, the Biden administration is putting the blame on Hamas, saying the ball is in Hamas’ court and a great many Israelis don’t believe that. Many Israelis think that it’s Benjamin Netanyahu who has been putting up the major obstacles to a negotiation, to a deal. So actually, we don’t know the truth. It’s based on a lot of leaks and hearsay. We don’t know,” he said.

“But the impression is very important, and the impression is crucial for the state of Israel … The government, in order to ask, in order to persuade Israelis to go out to war, to leave their homes … or send their children or their parents up to war, has to have a tremendous amount of legitimacy behind it, and this government has hemorrhaged legitimacy. It went into the war with a legitimacy deficit and now it’s in severe legitimacy overdraft … The government has to have a tremendous amount of legitimacy and credibility — right now this government has neither,” Oren added.

With Israel fighting wars on multiple fronts, including against Hamas and Hezbollah, Oren spoke about what he considers to be Israel’s biggest military challenge.

“The greatest strategic threat and our priority must be in the north … 100,000 Israelis have been rendered homeless now for nearly a year, dozens have been killed and wounded, entire cities have been rendered uninhabitable … Hezbollah, backed by Iran, represents a strategic threat to the state of Israel.”

Oren, who recently spent time serving in the north for the IDF, added that “this is a war that will involve all Israelis because Hezbollah rockets can hit anywhere in Israel with great accuracy.”

As we prepare to mark one year since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Oren discussed some of the hard lessons that we learned from that fateful day.

“The primary message is never to underestimate the abject evil of our enemies … Never assume they can be in some way induced not to want to massacre us on a grand scale,” he said.

Oren also noted that “there are many technical corrections that have to be made,” citing the need to wean ourselves off an over-reliance on technology, which he said was “a big problem on Oct. 7.”

“We can never afford not to be supremely vigilant at all times … It’s very important that the people who were responsible for Oct. 7 take that responsibility and reach the right conclusion,” he said.

In addition to the war on the battlefield, Israel is also facing battles on multiple fronts — in the international arena, in the press and in the United Nations, International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.

“The most important thing Israel has to do is to recognize that the struggle over Israel’s image in the world and Israel’s legitimacy in the world is a matter of national survival. We can have the best tanks and the best planes in the world, but if we don’t have a recognized right to use those planes and tanks, they’ll be rendered next to useless. So, it certainly at the very least is about giving time and space for the IDF to defend us,” he said.

Immediately after Oct. 7, Oren created an organization called the Israel Advocacy Group, which he said is “working around the clock to defend Israel” in the media and on the diplomatic front and “filling a vacuum that’s been left by the state of Israel, which has done in terms of public diplomacy next to nothing and doesn’t even have a functioning department right now.”

From his time serving as ambassador in Washington, D.C., Oren is mindful of the importance of a maintaining a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, despite the rancor and volatility that currently exists in the American political arena.

“Israel must always strive to maintain bipartisan support. Not all Israelis believe that anymore, but I certainly do. I think that bipartisan support for Israel is a strategic national interest for the country,” he said.

“We could withdraw from Judea and Samaria tomorrow, create a Palestinian state there, re-divide Jerusalem, give up Gaza, and still, there’d be people out calling for ‘from the river to the sea’ or calling for a global intifada. So, there’s a limit to what Israel can do to impact this. What we can do is strive to maintain bipartisan support.”

As Oren speaks to American Jewish community leaders, his principal messages are clear.

“The first message is to stay with us. The American Jewish community has, since Oct. 7, exhibited just extraordinary volunteerism, philanthropy, generosity toward the state of Israel. And Israelis are deeply, deeply appreciative.”

“We also need you to give us unity,” he added. “Some of the biggest threats facing Israel today are not external; they’re internal … we really need the American Jewish community to embrace us, to give us strength.”

For Oren, there is much more work to be done in service to the land that he loves.

“It’s a definite privilege to be a Jew today, to stand up and defend our people and our state … My whole life has been about service to Israel, the Jewish people, and I will continue doing just that, particularly at this very pivotal, fateful moment in our history.”

‘Beefing Up Security’

The following is an article that I wrote, which appeared in the September 12, 2024, edition of the Washington Jewish Week:

As antisemitism continues to rise at a frightening pace across the United States and Jewish community institutions, including synagogues and schools, take proactive steps to protect themselves and keep their congregants, students and staff safe, vigilance is indeed key. Yet enhanced security measures take more than just proper planning and training — it requires funding.

In this month’s installment of “Remember When,” we look back at our Aug. 12, 2004, issue. A story titled “Beefing up security” by Eric Fingerhut reported on funding opportunities for local synagogues in Maryland to enhance security measures.

According to the article, “Maryland is believed to be the first state providing money toward nonprofit organizations with security concerns.”

The Baltimore Jewish Council selected a local synagogue to receive a $30,000 grant, while Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School received $98,000.

JCCouncil of Greater Washington Executive Director Ron Halber played a pivotal role in overseeing and coordinating the application process for the security funds.

Referring to the process, Halber said that once applications were submitted by local synagogues, they would be reviewed by a “board of technical advisers with experience in terrorism and homeland security who will give us [the JCCouncil] an evaluation on which synagogues are highest at risk and which proposals will make the greatest impact.”

The article noted that, “With many in the Jewish community traditionally opposed to government funding of religion, JCCouncil leaders were initially somewhat wary of directing government funds to synagogues.” The JCCouncil ultimately received legal guidance from Marc Stern, general counsel for the American Jewish Congress, who opined that the funding was permissible from a constitutional law standpoint.

Stern noted that the funding had nothing to do with furthering a Jewish institution’s religious mission; rather, it was being allocated to protect the community from the “threat to life and property” that a terrorist attack presents.

Twenty years later, the issue of securing adequate funding to safeguard synagogues and schools is still extremely relevant.

JTA.org recently reported that the Department of Homeland Security allocated $454.5 million this fiscal year toward the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides funding for security improvements at houses of worship and religious organizations. That figure represents a nearly $150 million increase over last year’s allocation and is the largest amount ever allocated toward the program.

The increased funding takes into account the current post-Oct. 7 landscape and rising antisemitism across the country and provides Jewish community institutions with the opportunity to apply for much-needed funds to augment their existing security measures.

And twenty years after the Washington Jewish Week story appeared, Ron Halber is still deeply involved in the issue of securing government funding for synagogues and schools in his capacity as CEO of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington and as a tireless advocate for the DMV Jewish community.

‘Son of Hamas’ Stands in Support of Israel at Cherry Hill Event

The following is an article that I wrote, which appeared in the September 5, 2024, edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent:

Mosab Hassan Yousef
Photo Credit: Tint Photography

The story of a Hamas operative turned Israeli spy may sound implausible, but it is actually quite real.

A capacity crowd gathered at Chabad of Cherry Hill on Aug. 15, where they heard from Mosab Hassan Yousef, whose father was a founder of Hamas’ political wing.

At one time, Yousef was imprisoned by Israel for over two years for his activities with the terrorist organization. He ultimately became an important undercover asset for Israel, and the intelligence he provided helped prevent suicide bombings, foil assassination attempts on Israelis and unmask terrorists.

The event in Cherry Hill benefitted Magen David Adom, the national emergency medical response and blood services unit for the state of Israel.

“The IDF protects the borders of Israel and Magen David Adom really protects everything within the borders,” said Dawn Saidel, associate director of major gifts for American Friends of Magen David Adom. “If there’s a terrorist attack, a car accident, somebody is suffering from anxiety, Magen David Adom is there.”

In the weeks leading up to the event, the organizers had to contend with some last-minute logistical challenges.

The event was originally going to be hosted by Cherry Hill resident and Chabad of Cherry Hill member Meir Rozalis and was set to feature two Magen David Adom paramedics from Israel — one Jew and one Arab. Yet those plans changed about a week prior to the event.

“We were going to talk about how Jews and Arabs live together, work together and come together for Magen David Adom, for the common good of the state of Israel,” Saidel said. “Because of the situation in Israel, Magen David Adom decided it was best for everyone to stay in Israel and be prepared for whatever may come.”

At that point, there were 150 people registered to attend the event in Rozalis’ backyard. The organizers pivoted and were able to get Yousef to join them as the keynote speaker.

“He cares so much about Magen David Adom and the work that it does,” Saidel said.

They sent out one email announcing the change, and within hours they were up to 300 people registered. The surge in the number of attendees led them to change the venue six days before the event and Chabad of Cherry Hill offered their building.

Rozalis thanked Chabad of Cherry Hill “for opening their home.”

“It wasn’t their event, and they just said, whatever you need, do it here,” he said.

Rozalis, who described himself as “Israeli and American,” got involved with Magen David Adom after Oct. 7 and worked to bring the community together to donate ambulances. “It’s an organization that’s easy to give to because you know the reward is that every day they are saving lives,” he said.

As for Yousef’s presence at the event, Rozalis said that “people were cheering for him the whole time.”

“We brought someone who is so related to Hamas at a time when Israel has been at war with Hamas for almost 11 months after what they did to us,” Rozalis said. “It impacted people and was so relevant … People got confirmation from someone who had been on that side that Hamas is the most evil organization ever.”

At the event, former Deputy Consul General Israel Nitzan led a discussion with Yousef, the author of the bestselling book “Son of Hamas” and the newly released “From Hamas to America: My Story of Defying Terror, Facing the Unimaginable, and Finding Redemption in the Land of Opportunity.”

The conversation centered around the threat of terrorism and his journey that took him from Hamas to becoming an outspoken defender of Israel.

“The program was an educational event that brought people together for a good cause,” Rozalis said. The event also honored Magen David Adom medics who saved lives during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, including those killed while saving others.

Over $150,000 was raised at the event. Those funds will go toward helping enhance Magen David Adom’s fleet of rescue vehicles and provide emergency equipment and training for medics serving in Israel’s border communities.

Saidel said the event was also an opportunity to underscore the critical role that Magen David Adom plays in Israel, which she noted not everyone is aware of.

“We are actually helping the IDF by giving them blood and transfusing blood right in the battlefield, which has saved so many lives of IDF soldiers,” she said.

Saidel also spoke about the Marcus National Blood Services Center in Ramla, Israel, noting that three floors of the blood center are shielded underground to preserve it from cyber-attacks, terror attacks and earthquakes.

She also discussed Magen David Adom’s milk bank. “Some nursing mothers donate milk for babies who are in the hospital, who are preemies, whose mothers can’t nurse,” she said.

“After Oct. 7, all these mothers came together to donate their breast milk for kids whose mothers were called up to the reserves, who were killed, unfortunately, in battle, who were taken hostage.”

According to Saidel, Magen David Adom doesn’t get any funding from the state of Israel — most of its funding comes from the United States and societies around the world. “People feel like they don’t know what to do to help Israel in a very concrete way, and that’s why people are turning to Magen David Adom.”

“Since Oct. 7, the people have stepped up, and it’s so beautiful … We have the organizations doing the big events, but people are also trying their best to initiate things,” Rozalis said.

Rozalis thanked the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey for everything it has done since Oct. 7, both for Magen David Adom and Israel in a general sense. “They have just been amazing and the best partner that we could have,” he said.

“At a time when there is so much pain and tragedy in Israel, I am particularly moved by the passionate support of the Cherry Hill community,” Saidel said. “Magen David Adom medics are there for all who need help, without regard for religion or ethnicity. This event showed that they are deeply appreciated in return.”

The WJW Podcast: A Conversation With John Ondrasik (8/7/24)

John Ondrasik, aka Five For Fighting, is a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter.

To date, Five For Fighting has released six studio albums, including the platinum-certified “America Town” and “The Battle for Everything,” and he has several major hits, including “Superman,” “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World” and “Easy Tonight.” His music has been featured in more than 350 films, television shows and commercials.

Ondrasik’s songs include “OK (We Are Not OK)” in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, “Blood On My Hands” about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and “Can One Man Save The World?” which he recorded in Kyiv in support of Ukraine.

On the WJW Podcast, Ondrasik spoke about the importance of condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel and why he has been so vocal about what happened, his upcoming tour and why he thinks it is important to use music to call attention to world-changing events and supporting humanitarian efforts.

The WJW Podcast: A Conversation With Amy Spitalnick (7/31/24)

Amy Spitalnick is the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the national convener of Jewish coalitions working across communities to build a just and inclusive American democracy.

Spitalnick previously served as executive director of Integrity First for America, which became a strong and prominent voice in the fight against white supremacy and extremism during her tenure.

A graduate of Tufts University, Spitalnick has extensive experience in government, politics and advocacy, including working in various roles for the New York State Attorney General, Mayor of the City of New York and in the New York State Senate. She also serves as a senior adviser on extremism to Human Rights First and on the Advisory Board of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University.

On the WJW Podcast, Spitalnick spoke about her work at JCPA, the polarization in the American political arena, the presidential race, antisemitism and her groundbreaking lawsuit against the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and hate groups responsible for the violence in Charlottesville in 2017.