18 | SEPTEMBER 12 • 2024
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ebekah Gregory in April
of 2013 was standing on
the sidelines of the Boston
Marathon eating a chocolate-
covered pretzel, her 5-year-old
son at her feet, when terrorists
detonated a bomb 3 feet away. She
shielded his body with hers and, in
the process, saved both their lives
but lost the lower part of her left
leg.
But after 76 surgeries, learning
how to live with a prosthetic and
fulfilling a goal of running the last
part of the Boston Marathon in
2015, Gregory said surviving the
terror attack gave her new purpose
in life in helping trauma survivors.
Gregory will share her story
of resilience and survival as the
keynote speaker at the National
Council for Jewish Women’s
annual Women of Vision Awards
fundraising luncheon Thursday,
Sept. 26, at Adat Shalom Synagogue
in Farmington Hills.
Speaking with the JN, Gregory
emphasized the universality of life’s
unexpected challenges.
“While the majority of us will
never get blown up by a bomb in
a marathon, every single person
knows what it’s like to have life
blow up in their face,” she said.
Gregory recounted the fateful day
when her birthday weekend in
Boston took a devastating turn. “I
had no idea that my life was about
to flip upside down in a matter of
minutes,” she reflected.
Now, 11 years later, Gregory is
the author of the 2017 book Taking
My Life Back: My Story of Faith,
Determination, and Surviving the
Boston Marathon Bombing (Revel
Publishers). Her son is applying
to colleges and her daughter, who
was born against all odds due
to Gregory’s multiple injuries, is
beginning the third grade.
Gregory spoke about how her
son’s struggles from witnessing
such trauma prompted her to found
Rebekah’s Angel’s, a nonprofit
organization that provides mental
health support to children and
families coping with trauma.
Gregory said her son’s positive
and generous outlook on life has
also been a source of strength.
The terror attack also taught her a
tough lesson: As much as parents
try, they cannot shield them from
all of life’s pain. Instead, parents
can teach them how to be resilient
and giving people.
“My son’s innocence was
taken from him in a city we just
happened to be visiting to cheer
on a friend who was running the
marathon the weekend of my
birthday,” Gregory said. “My son
had to watch me endure all those
operations, and he said to me, ‘I
don’t know how you do it with a
smile on your face.’ And I say to
him, ‘Every day I get to get up, I get
to put on a leg and live and be with
my family, and that alone is totally
worth it. I got to live.’”
NCJW Michigan President Amy
Zeskind said the organization chose
Gregory as the keynote speaker
because of her work protecting
the rights of women, children and
families.
“Rebekah overcame a difficult
challenge and has now dedicated
her life to advocating for those who
have survived trauma, inspiring
audiences and readers of her
book with a message of hope and
empowerment,” Zeskind said.
LOCAL BUSINESSWOMAN
TO BE HONORED
Among others honored at the
luncheon, NCJW will recognize
Linda Schlesinger-Wagner,
philanthropist and founder of
Skinnytees, with the Women of
Vision Award. In addition to
reinventing her career at the age
of 60 and launching what is now
a $6 million company, she is also
active in Gesher Human Services
(formerly Jewish Vocational
Services) and co-chairs the Trade
continued on page 20
Boston Marathon bombing survivor to
speak at NCJW’s annual event.
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
Women
of Vision
NATURALLY MONNI
NATURALLY MONNI
Rebekah
Gregory
Linda
Schlesinger-
Wagner