Kiryat Shalom held an exciting activity last week that included both the Maccabi and Taibe Youth Departments along with some amazing US NCAA college athletes who are here with StandWithUs/Standing Ovation to see Israel first hand and to return to their college campuses and homes with a better understanding of facts that will correct common prejudices about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The sportspeople which included basketball players, wrestlers and swimmers got to see first hand how friendship, fun and football trumps all when it comes to sports in the Holy Land. The children were split up into 8 mixed teams and together with the NCAA athletes competed in a tournament that was more about multiculturalism, Jews, Arabs and Christians than winning, losing or drawing.
Following the tournament, Josh Halickman, Head of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation launched a discussion with the athletes about the history of Israel though the Maccabi lens and discussed the club’s rich past.
One of the participants Caleb Wigginton said (Basketball player, Florida Tech): “It was such a blessing getting to play and interact with the kids. For me, one of the coolest things about sports is their ability to bring and bond people together. It was amazing seeing the Arab and Israeli kids engage, laugh and play alongside each other.”
Aviv Rosenfeld from Standing Ovation also spoke about the importance of the activity: “I believe that the program that we participated in together with both the athletes and the children along with Maccabi Tel Aviv showed the true face of the State of Israel and proves that sports is a perfect way to further multiculturalism and coexistence.”
