At Home on the Basketball Court
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved sports. I started playing basketball in seventh grade. My coach saw my potential and encouraged me to invest myself in the sport and by 10th grade I was playing on a professional club. It was then, and remains today, an integral part of my life. Beyond just the athletic aspect, basketball instills discipline, motivation, leadership skills and dedication. As a coach, I place a heavy emphasis on understanding the game and the need to be there for your fellow teammates.
Be Thankful for Our Health
I have always appreciated the field of understanding our bodies and in high school I was very interested in biology. Through basketball I’ve been exposed to the whole topic of testing our physical abilities, while at the same time the limitations imposed by injuries. Physiotherapy is designed to help all sorts of people recover from different challenges but to understand that we can come back, and get stronger, from even the most serious injuries. I studied basketball coaching as a profession and later pursued my studied physiotherapy.
Giving It All
After finishing learning at the Yeshivat Hesder in Otniel, eight years ago, I was offered to volunteer at Tzohar’s program for secular youth ahead of their bar mitzva. I realized this could be a meaningful pursuit, and I was certainly right in pursuing that opportunity. This was also a chance to meet people who I might not encounter on a daily basis, and indeed because of the project I have met kids and families that I wouldn’t come across in any other framework. So far I’ve worked with over fifty kids and I know there will be many more. Every interaction teaches me something- in addition to me teaching them.
My First Student
My first student was a recent oleh from the US. My family has some anglo roots but I don’t speak English on a native level, so I was both struggling to teach the material for the first time, while breaking my teeth doing so…But it all went well. I met him a few years later and it was so rewarding to see how these kids grow up and mature. I also had the chance to teach his brother. In these lessons, the boys both learn their parsha and haftara and also topics related to become a Jewish adult and acceptance of mitzvot. The topics address issues of Jewish identity, faith, observance and more.
Emotional Experiences
Every kid is their own individual story, as is every family and you never really know what you’re going to experience. You enter their homes and work to adapt yourself to whatever the situation might be. Almost every boy accepts the idea of learning their Torah portion and they work hard towards and it’s always so incredible to watch their transition from stumbling over a few words to reading the whole thing. Putting on tefillin is always a moving part of this process. The parents are of course part of it all and can’t stop taking pictures.
So Many Memories
As mentioned I’ve taught over fifty boys which is a considerable number but there are some that stand out, particularly one boy whose bar mitzva was taking place during Corona. All the classes were held by Zoom so we only really met at the bar mitzva itself and it was really moving. There was also a group of kids from my neighborhood that I taught and then a few months later I met them on the basketball court when they were playing for an opposing team to the one I was coaching which was a nice experience. The kids who have moved me the most are those with specific challenges who have to work extra hard, so seeing them succeed is really fulfilling. I have taught a boy with dyslexia which wasn’t simple but he was up to the task. Recently I taught a boy on the autism spectrum which was also a challenge but I think specifically because of the challenge, I established a really warm relationship with the boy and his family. I think that in every case when there is good will and with hard work, we can produce something special that remains with the boy and his family for many years after.
My Dream
I hope to stay in touch with the younger generation whether through basketball or through the bar mitzvah program and to instill within them the values and lessons I have learned while also learning from them. I haven’t yet had the chance to teach a set of twins so I think that could be special and interesting, so hopefully that will happen. Particularly now when so many of our counselors are in miluim I encourage people to join the Tzohar Bar Mitzva program and be a part of this important work.
