The Foundation hosted a unique Maccabi Sports Trip throughout Israel with the Gann Academy in Boston and Ironi Hei Haifa 10th graders this past past week. Foundation Head Josh Halickman organized plenty of fun activities for the group of over 20 students which included not only having the opportunity to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv take on Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer Stadium but many other programs as well including an interactive presentation about the club.
Also on tap was a tour of the Sport 5 Studios in Herzliya where we were led by the Yellow & Blue Press Officer Ofer Ronen while also hearing from Gabriel Haydu one of the on air talents who covers the NBA and other American sports. A visit to the Jaffa Israel Tennis Centers and an intimate encounter with rising star Yishai Oliel, participating in a training session at the Maccabi Training Facility at Kiryat Shalom and learning all about the impact of Israeli sports on the society as a whole was also part of the project.
The trip culminated with the students participating in the Peres Center for Peace Mini-Mondial at the Herzliya Stadium where they refereed all of the matches for 1,000 Jewish, Israeli-Arab and Arab children from the Palestinian Territories in an all-encompassing experience about multiculturalism and co-existence.
The Head of Gann Academy, Rabbi Marc Baker said: “Thank you, Josh! Our kids saw Israel in ways they never have before. They saw how sports is not only entertaining and fun, but is a powerful way to give back to one’s community, to strengthen ones society and to better the world. What a privilege to see all of this and the ways the professional sports are blossoming in Israel.”
