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 

