Original Article published on The Jerusalem Post

Our American correspondent goes one on one with Israel’s first NBA player

He is a rock star! Sacramento Kings assistant coach Mario Elie said as he watched from the side of the court at New York City famed Madison Square Garden. Rookie Omri Casspi smiled as he signed pictures, jerseys and even Israeli flags for loyal Jewish and Israeli fans. I’m excited to be part of Omripalooza! commented another fan. When Casspi began addressing the pre-game crowd on Jewish Heritage Night, thousands began chanting, Omri Casspi! He patiently answered the questions which he has been answering in stadiums across the country: What is it like being the first Israeli in the NBA? Who are your heroes? Do you miss Israel?.

Casspi, 21, has had a very successful rookie year. The handsome, good natured forward from Yavne has become a true star and fan favorite on and off the court. He averages 11 points, five rebounds and one assist per game, scored a career high 24 points against the Phoenix Suns, and participated in the Rookies versus Sophomore game and the HORSE competition at the 2010 NBA All Star Game.

Casspi had a great night against the Knicks. At the post-game press conference, Casspi was flocked by American and Israeli reporters. One noted the irony: 18 points – CHAI – for number 18 in the purple Kings jersey!

Casspi’s Jewish Heritage Tour continued recently in New Jersey, against the Nets. Or Rujdera was lucky enough to be visiting the States from Netanya and came to the game with his father. Or, decked out in his bright purple #18 Sacramento Kings jersey wasn’t at all disappointed by Casspi scoring only two points, seconds before the final buzzer. The seventeen year old was proud that he and his friends get up at 4am in Israel twice a week to watch Casspi play. Just a few short years ago, Casspi himself was waking up at 4am to watch his hero, Michael Jordan, play basketball!

Casspi was born into a sporting family and began playing basketball at an early age. He played for several local teams and at age 13 moved to the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth team. At 17, Casspi turned pro, playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 2009, Casspi was drafted in the first round (23rd overall) by the Sacramento Kings, signing a three year contract worth $3.5 million.

The Casspi family is very close and very athletic. His brother, Eitan, lives and travels with him while in the States. His sister, Aviv, 16, is a serious basketball player for Elitzur Holon and may even make it to the WNBA. His father, Shimon is a great tennis player and mother, Eliana, was a competitive basketball player herself. They take turns coming to the States to watch Omri play!

Casspi understands what it means to represent Israel and the Jewish People. I feel great pride being Jewish and Israeli, and a lot of responsibility. I feel happy being Israeli and Jewish every time I step on the court. At the end of the season, he will return to Israel and play for Israel’s National Team.

Casspi is truly blessed; he is a talented athlete surrounded by supportive family, teammates and fans. And he is a true mentsch! We have high hopes for Casspi as he continues to be Israel’s ambassador around the world.

Do you miss Israel?
 I miss home. My family and friends are there. But I have gotten used to living in the States; it is pretty comfortable now.

Do you ever feel affected by the current political situation between the US and Israel?
I’m reading and trying to be as connected as possible. However, I’m mostly focusing on basketball.

What is your current relationship with Maccabi Electra?
 They are my friends and it was my home for over 8 years.

Tell us about your sister, Aviv, and her hopes for the WNBA.
She is 16 and plays for Elitzur Holon. She is very talented. We pray for her. You never know!

Who are your mentors at the Kings?
 Francisco Garcia (#32, a guard) has really shown me the ropes.

What has been the biggest adjustment playing in the NBA?
Getting used to the athleticism, physicality and nightly games.

You have worn lots of different numbers so far. Now you are wearing #18…
I wear #18 because it is symbolic to our Jewish community. It means life. I plan to wear it from now on!

Tell us about your army service.
Army service is an important part of growing up in Israel. I did it, my brother did it, my father all my friends. I was a sports counselor for three years. I taught, refereed and played. The army really helped me. It was a good experience.

What does it mean to you to be the first Israeli in the NBA?
 It is a great honor. I am trying to be the best player and the best example I can be.

Favorite Jewish holiday?
 Chanukah. I love sufganiyot!

Did you celebrate your bar mitzvah?
 Yes, at home in Israel. I went to my local synagogue on Shabbat, read Torah, everything. We took a family trip to the States, which is when the Nike Commercial was filmed.

Other sports you love?
 Soccer and tennis.

Favorite food other than hummus?
 Italian pasta, chicken, pizza.

Shoe size?
 13. At games I usually wear black Nike’s with a white swoosh.

Favorite movie?
 Currently Avatar. In general, Lord of the Rings.

Favorite music?
 I love Israeli music Shlomo Artzi, Eyal Golan, Muki.

How did you spend Yom Haatzmaut?
 I was at home in Israel with my family and friends having a barbecue!

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My English speaking students always laugh when they learn that being told DIE! is not a harsh curse; rather, it is the Hebrew word for enough. Dayenu, which we will all sing during the Magid section of our upcoming sedarim, literally means Enough for Us. It is a song which asks the important question of whether each miracle of the Pesach story, on its own, would have truly been enough.

Dayenu teaches the importance of being content with what we have. Most of us are fortunate to have enough in our lives. Recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile remind us that shelter, food, water and our loved ones are the things which are truly important. Our laptops, our Blackberries, and our wallets are dear to us and hard to replace. Family photos and our children’s precious art work and tests posted on our refrigerators are sentimental. But they are just objects.

This Pesach, may we remember that we were once slaves, but now we are free. Free to appreciate and treasure all that is truly important in our lives.

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Yes, Pesach is the time to celebrate freedom and redemption. But it is also a time of eating, eating and more eating. We will surely be spending a lot of time around our holiday table, sharing meals with family and friends. We have sure evolved from the days when Pesach meant simply matza, potatoes and gefilte fish. We can now enjoy such delicacies as quiche, pizza and tea rooms in fancy kosher hotels.

We should be proud of how far we’ve come but we shouldn’t be so content with or focused on the gourmet Kosher for Passover food that we forget the true connections between what we put in our mouths and the meaning of the Passover. We all know that matza reminds us of our hasty departure from Egypt, maror reminds us of the bitterness of slavery, and charoset the mortar used in brick making, etc. But the connections shouldn’t end there.

I was thinking of the importance of thinking what we put in our mouths after reading a recent JCarrot posting by Rabbi Eiav Bock, director of the new Ramah Outdoor Adventure Camp in the Rockies.

Here is an excerpt:

Our goal at Ramah Outdoor Adventure is to completely change the way that we approach food at a summer camp. We have budgeted much more money for food than typical camps. Although I have yet to hire our head chef, the question I have asked each applicant is to tell me how they can help make the food they are serving fit within the broader mission of the camp. Anyone who does not see a direct link between the program in the kitchen and the program on the ropes-course cannot be considered for the job. Admittedly, this has made hiring our head chef all the more challenging, because I am not only seeking someone who understands Kosher food, but also someone who understands the intersection between sustainable foods and wholesome cooking.

So what are some of the commitments we have made for 2010? Here are four:

1. Throughout the week, we will be engaging in programming about food during our meals. We will be adapting elements of the Hazon Min Ha’Aretz Curriculum for use at camp.

2. We will make an effort to buy no white carbohydrates. This means, whenever possible, we will purchase whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and whole-wheat bread. We realize that there will be exceptions and of course we are limited to what we are able to purchase with a Kosher symbol. Luckily Colorado is blessed with wonderful kosher organic whole-wheat bread and organic whole-wheat pasta that is certified by the OU.

3. We will serve mainly whole grain cereal and oatmeal for breakfast only on occasion serving typical camp breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes.

4. Campers will take an active role in preparing food at camp. This will enable everyone from the youngest camper to the oldest staff member to take ownership of the food that we will be eating. When the food is great, we will know who to thank. When the food is bad, we will know who is responsible.

Like Rabbi Bock at his new Ramah camp, we Jewish educators, parents and seder hosts have the opportunity to make the important connection between the true meaning of the Passover holiday and the foods we prepare and consume.


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The Original Article published On The Camp Ramah In New England

My camp, Camp Ramah in New England, has asked campers and staff to participate in the blog series, Impact of Ramah-The 100 Day Countdown. Members of the camp community are asked to share what they are most excited about, most looking forward to, or most miss about camp that you can’t wait to experience again?

Though I have been working at camp for sixteen years and directing the Tikvah Program for ten years. As we are in the final stretch in preparing for Kayitz, 2010, I admit to feeling a bit nervous. Will camp be as great as last year? Will the staff work well together? Will the campers and staff members grow?

I take comfort in the words of the late Professor Nechama Leibowitz, as shared by her student, Dr. Joe Freedman, Director of Ramah Programs in Israel. Joe always tells his staff of the time he approached Professor Leibowitz at the start of one of her famous Parshat Hashavua (Torah Portion of the Week) classes. She politely asked him, “Can you please come to me after class, kee yesh lee parparim b’beten—I have butterflies in my stomach.”

If such a gadol hador (giant of the generation) has butterflies in her stomach, it is okay for all of us to have butterflies in our stomachs! 
I share this story with my staff each summer and take comfort in the fact that I am not alone.


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