Original article published in the JNS

“Our kids also come from a perspective culturally and educationally that they will return to the U.S. as allies and friends of the State of Israel,” said head coach Bruce Pearl.

Busloads of American Jewish teenagers arrived at Jerusalem’s Malha Arena to watch Israel’s U20 National play against Auburn University Tigers Men’s basketball team on Aug. 2.

Instead of rooting for Israel, the large delegation of participants on an NCSY trip sponsored by the inclusive Israel experience Yad B’Yad came clad in blue and orange to cheer on Auburn, the reigning SEC regular-season champions. The Alabama team is in Israel to play three games as part of the inaugural “Birthright for College Basketball Tour.”

“We came to support Auburn for coming to Israel,” Emily Farbowitz of New Jersey told JNS.

Eytan Israel of Stamford, Conn., added that “when we heard Auburn was coming to Israel and that they were the first school to show support for Israel, we wanted to support them and make them feel welcome.”

The well-attended event included Israeli Jewish and Arab basketball fans. Photo by Howard Blas.

Ironically, Yad B’Yad head counselor Eytan Aryeh happened to pack his blue Auburn sun hat for his Israel trip before learning the team was coming to the Jewish state. “I like Auburn,” he said. “I was a big Cam Newton (NFL quarterback) fan when he attended Auburn, and I happened to bring the hat.”

Aryeh said he felt privileged to bring his entire group to the game, saying “what better activity than to bring our group to a basketball game, and to welcome Auburn and show that we support them. What a kiddush Hashem,” he said, using words meaning “a sanctification of God’s name.”

The well-attended event also included Israeli Jewish and Arab basketball fans. Moad of Ein Naqquba, an Arab village in central Israel, brought his children. “They are rooting for the U.S. team and I am rooting for the local team,” he said. “We came to watch good-quality professional basketball.”

Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl is familiar with Israel and Israeli basketball. In 2009, he served as head coach for the Maccabi USA men’s basketball team, which took the gold medal at the Maccabi Games in Tel Aviv. Pearl is one of five Jewish coaches in history to reach the Final Four in the NCAA Division I College basketball playoffs.

The 62-year-old noted that once every four years, the NCAA allows a college basketball team to have a foreign tour. In 2017, Pearl took his team on a similar trip to Italy in the summer.

Pearl and the Tigers arrived in Israel Sunday for a 10-day visit. “Auburn is going to allow us to go take my kids to Israel and experience something that could be a once-in-a lifetime thing for them,” said Pearl. “I’m just so grateful.”

He said that he sees great potential for U.S. teams holding sports and cultural experiences in Israel. “My hope is to put Israel on the map for U.S. college teams. Auburn is going to get it started, and hopefully, you’re going to see schools like Duke, Notre Dame or Ohio State—the best names in college basketball—come to Israel. This is my goal and dream, and we are going to try and make it a reality.”

He also said that he hopes the trip will influence his players to return home as allies of Israel.

“Our kids also come from a perspective culturally and educationally that they will return to the U.S. as allies and friends of the State of Israel, and certainly for some of my players, the dream would be for them to be able to come back and play professionally in Israel because it is such a great country to play professionally because of the supportive fans,” said their coach.

Photo by Howard Blas.

‘Try to play some competition’

The Tigers will travel to Hadar-Yosef Stadium in North Tel Aviv, part of the sports center of the same name, to play against Israel’s All-Star Select Team on Aug. 7. The team’s final game will take place against Israel’s National Team on Aug. 8 at Tel Aviv Yafo Sport Palaces. Games will feature four quarters, as opposed to two halves, with a 24-second shot clock.

“One of the things our guys are going to find out in a hurry is they love their basketball in Israel and they’re good,” said Pearl. “A lot of times, you go on these summer tours and you do the best you can to try to play some competition, and there just flat-out isn’t any competition over there. We’re going to get all we want.”

The Auburn team features players from this past season, including Wendell Green Jr.; Zep Jasper; K.D. Johnson; Allen Flanigan; Chris Moore; Jaylin Williams; Babatunde Akingbola; and Dylan Cardwell. New players include freshmen Tre Donaldson; Yohan Traore; and Chance Westry; as well as Johni Broome, a transfer from Morehead State University.

All games are televised live from Israel by the SEC Network at 12 p.m. U.S. Central Standard Time. “We couldn’t be more honored to be able to go with Auburn and Bruce Pearl and his staff for this once-in-a-lifetime trip,” said ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas. “We’re thrilled beyond words.”

Bilas will call Auburn’s games on SEC Network alongside Roxy Bernstein, an American sportscaster for ESPN, the Pac-12 Network and the Oakland Athletics.

In Tuesday night’s game, Auburn never lost the lead. They led at the half 57-22 and went on to blow out the home team 117-56. Players and coaches seem more concerned with good feelings and the symbolism of the trip than the final outcome. Players huddled, embraced, posed for group pictures and then went to greet fans, pose for selfies and sign autographs. Pearl received a big welcome and put on a white yarmulke as the crowd chanted his Hebrew name, Mordechai.

“We’re going to share this trip together—see things for the first time that we’re never ever going to forget,” he said. “That’s what makes it so special, and that’s what will give us a chance to be able to come together and get to know each other better.”

“The greatest way to understand Israel and the amazing place it has become,” he affirmed, “is to see it for yourself.”

“We came to support Auburn for coming to Israel,” said Emily Farbowitz of New Jersey. Photo by Howard Blas.
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Original article published in the Jerusalem Post

Despite his current success in the music business, it would be incorrect to assume that everything Shapiro touches immediately turns to gold.

The late Bill Graham may be considered the greatest American Jewish rock music promoter but upstart Peter Shapiro could be close at his heels.

The publisher of longtime jam band magazine Relix Magazine is also owner of multiple music venues throughout the United States, organizer of the jam band LockN music festival and the promoter of literally 10,000 shows.

He’s also the mastermind and miracle worker who reunited the surviving members of The Grateful Dead for five concerts in 2015 to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary.

Shapiro’s long, strange trip is detailed in The Music Never Stops: What Putting on 10,000 Shows Has Taught About Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Magic, released this week.

Peter Shapiro’s new book (credit: PETER SHAPIRO)

Shapiro, a young and active 50 year old, nearly lost it all many times, including the time in his mid-twenties, when as a young promoter, he had to part with 10% of his bank account in 1997 to pay Marty Balin, founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, his guaranteed fee.

Each of the relatively short 50 chapters feature a title (such as Black Lily, Soldier Field Part I, Green Apples), a concert, a venue and a show date. The legendary concert promoter and all around mensch, regales readers with entertaining and informative stories and anecdotes of celebrities, music venues, concerts and music festivals he has planned and executed.

I was delighted to relive three memorable concerts I personally attended: Greateful Dead alumni Phil Lesh and Friends at the Cap, LockN, and Lesh and the Dead’s Bob Weir at Radio City Music Hall, in 2018. Shapiro name drops on every page, but not to show off – he really has meaningful, caring relationships with so many people from all walks of life. Shapiro forms genuine relationships with just about everyone he meets, including disparate figures from Robert Plant and Peter Fonda to Jimmy Fallon.

The Manhattan Upper East Side resident recounts his formative years, which encompass a myriad of non-music interests. He covered play-by-play for high school basketball, interned at the short lived National Sports Daily tabloid and, while a student at Northwestern University, produced a film about Deadheads, which included an interview about Acid Tests icon, Ken Kesey. The film premiered at Sundance.

Shapiro went on to make additional films for the NFL, produced U2 3D and the IMAX concert film All Access: Front Row Backstage Live, and created the Jammy Awards. He also put on massive Earth Day Celebrations and almost produced John Kerry’s Presidential Inaugural Celebration in January, 2005 – though it was eventually called off on account of Kerry never actually being elected president.

SHAPIRO’S MUSIC lessons to date come from years on the ground, including owning and running Wetlands in NYC in his mid-20s, founding and owning the Brooklyn Bowl – the famous music venue with music, bowling and food experiences in Brooklyn – and the entire franchise which now includes locations in Nashville, Philadelphia and Las Vegas – and regularly packing his Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY night after night with the likes of Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan and of course, Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, who regularly performs a residency there.

“To those who want to work in the concert business, treat any task that is presented to you as a career opportunity, no matter how minor it may seem. If you do the job right and people enjoyed working with you, it increases the odds that you’ll get another chance,” writes Shapiro the book, written with Relix editor, Dean Budnick.

Shapiro is never content to simply admire his successes and stay put. He is always on the move. He expanded the 1,800 seat Capitol Theater to also house Garcia’s, a lobby bar in honor of the late Grateful Dead guitarist and singer, who considered the rock palace to be one of his favorite venues in the country. In recent years, Shapiro added the very clever Rock and Roll Playhouse to Garcia’s offerings. The family concert series is a place where parents can introduce their kids to the Grateful Dead for Kids, as well as Phish, Beatles, Queen, Dave Matthews and Bob Marley – all for kids.

Despite his frenetic schedule, which has literally involved flying back from a Hawaiian family vacation for a day to be at a show, Shapiro often serves on boards or takes leadership roles – lessons he learned at home from his family. He has helped produce Earth Day, the Climate Rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and he is actively involved in Head Count and Central Park Summer Stage.

Shapiro no doubt learned a thing or two about chessed (kindness) and tikkun olam from his father, Daniel Shapiro, who he mentions in the book, and from his grandfather, Ezra Shapiro. Daniel Shapiro was president of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (forerunner of the UJA-Federation of New York) in the early 80s. He also offered legal counsel and helped Peter out of countless jams while operating Wetland. His grandfather, Ezra, was once world chairperson of Keren Hayesod.

One additional family fun fact: Peter is the great-grandnephew of Joel Elias Spingarn, an early leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Shapiro casually and unselfconsciously makes use of Jewish terms and references throughout the book. He mentions bar mitzvahs taking place at the Capitol Theater and writes of the Brooklyn Bowl, “When Prince died on a Thursday, we hosted a shiva that night with Questlove spinning.” He uses this vignette to illustrate the importance of quickly changing course when necessary. “Since we’re open seven nights a week, we also have the ability to pivot and program quickly.”

While most music fans are impressed and even in awe of Shapiro’s ability to work his magic to pull off the seemingly supernatural, like reuniting the members of the Grateful Dead. But some fans and even members of the legendary Grateful Dead have gone so far as to suggest that Shapiro actually has supernatural powers.

He opens the book, “Fans of legendary music business figure Peter Shapiro are still debating his role in the legendary rainbow, which appeared over Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California at the Fare The Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead, on June 27, 2015.One reviewer suggested that Shapiro himself had ponied up $50,000 (NIS 169,000) to make the rainbow appear. Even Mickey Hart, the Jewish drummer of the Grateful Dead, emailed Shapiro to ask, “How did you do that rainbow trick? I won’t reveal your power.”

Let’s hope Shapiro continues to use his special powers to produce more tricks and teach more valuable life lessons.

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Original article published in the JNS

A 6-foot-2 right-hander from California currently pitching for Louisiana State University, he was the 160th overall pick in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft.

If everything goes according to plan, Eric Reyzelman may become the most Jewishly connected and affiliated Major League baseball player in history. Of course, there is a long road ahead for the friendly, hard-throwing 21-year-old Californian recently drafted by the New York Yankees. But to date, his Jewish credentials are almost as impressive as his pitching ones; the list of accomplishments already includes Hebrew school, bar mitzvah, a family trip to Israel and naches shepped (Jewish pride enjoyed) by parents and grandparents.

Reyzelman, a 6-foot-2 right-hander currently pitching for Louisiana State University (LSU), was the 160th overall pick in the fifth round of the draft on July 18. He spoke with the JNS from Tampa, Fla., where he will begin his Major League career at the Yankees’ development facilities.

While he had hoped to be picked by a big team, he says he still finds the experience surreal. He was watching the draft in a restaurant with his family and some close friends: “It was one of the craziest moments of my life. It was unreal. I was surrounded by those who got me here!”

He reports that the TV was delayed at the time, and he actually began getting calls from an “area scout” and friends before he received the official word from the Yankees. “I took my time enjoying the news,” he says, “and then they told us we’d be flying to Tampa in a day.”

Reyzelman notes that packing on short notice was no problem; after all, he quipped, “I have been living out of a suitcase for the past two years—going from San Francisco [SF Dons of the West Coast Conference] to LSU to Southern California to the Cape Cod League [Harwich Mariners] to LSU to Southern California to Cape Cod!” His mother, chiropractor Victoria Reyzelman, accompanied him and helped him get settled in Tampa. He says he works out daily from 8:30 a.m. until midafternoon.

Reyzelman and the 20 other players drafted by the Yankees will continue training at the southern facilities. “There are a ton of options to get some innings in,” says Reyzelman, who doesn’t yet know how he will spend the rest of the season. He may remain in Tampa and play in the rookie league; he may play for the Tampa Tarpons, the Minor League Baseball team and Single-A affiliate of the Yankees; or for the Hudson Valley Renegades in Fishkill, N.Y., the High-A affiliate.

Team Israel baseball at the Tokyo Olympics. Source: Team Israel Baseball/Facebook.

‘It is an unbelievable, indiscernible feeling’

Reyzelman being drafted by the Yankees is especially impressive given some of the obstacles he encountered growing up. He was cut from his high school team twice, and underwent and recovered from Tommy John (ulnar collateral ligament) surgery.

He grew up a San Francisco Giants fan, watching multiple Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum pitch. While Reyzelman enjoyed watching games, he acknowledges that “the eighth and ninth innings were the parts of the game with the most action!” Given his interest in late-game excitement, Reyzelman also loved watching Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. He also liked watching Yankee CC Sabathia pitch.

“It was an unbelievable group!” he gushes (just a bit).

The 21-year-old knows what a big deal it is to join the legendary organization and can’t wait to actually wear pinstripes. “It is an unbelievable, indiscernible feeling knowing their rich history and the number of fans they have everywhere. You say ‘Yankees’ all over the world and ears perk up. It is crazy to think I am part of this incredible organization!”

Still, Reyzelman is quick to note that his older 6-foot 5-inch, 250-pound football-playing (formerly a player at Fresno State University) brother is the “true athlete of the family.” He is also proud of his 13-year-old brother who is “obsessed with baseball.”

His parents and grandparents are relatively new arrivals on the baseball scene. While his father, Alex Reyzelman, a podiatrist, came to the United States from Moldova as a child, his mother, Victoria, a chiropractor, came to America from Ukraine (via Italy) in 1989. “My mother was here with me from the time of the signing until now; she just went back home,” he says. “My parents love it. We talk every day, and my dad loves getting updates.”

He notes that his grandparents are also enthusiastic supporters, despite arriving “late to the game,” so to speak

“My grandparents got into it when I was at the University of San Francisco [before transferring to LSU]; they started streaming every game,” he says. “Now, my grandmother who came from Moldova knows baseball and asks questions like, ‘Why was this pitcher taken out?!’ ”

Eric Reyzelman. Photo by Chris Parent/Courtesy of Louisiana State University Athletics.

‘Work ethic, determination and perseverance’

“We grew up in a pretty strong Jewish family,” reports Reyzelman, who went to Hebrew school and whose family was very active with Chabad of the Tri-Valley in Pleasanton, Calif.—some 38 miles southeast of Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. He celebrated his bar mitzvah there under the tutelage of Rabbi Raleigh Resnick. “We have made so many friends there and made so many connections. I am pretty sure I could pick up my Torah portion now if I reviewed it a few times!”

He credits the rabbi with connecting him to Chabad centers and rabbis in Louisiana, and now in Tampa. “After I transferred to LSU, I was trying to get involved. The rabbi in Baton Rouge went out of his way to make me feel comfortable.”

Jay Johnson, head baseball coach at LSU, is excited about Reyzelman and his future, saying “he is a true testament to work ethic, determination and perseverance. Eric had a terrific season this year for us and is really prepared to have success with the Yankees organization.”

The 21-year-old finished three years of college, studying kinesiology at San Francisco and then sports administration at LSU. He’ll be leaving to play professional ball.

The coach adds that “he has a Major League-ready fastball and the ability to add to his arsenal as he works through Minor League Baseball. I believe the best is yet to come for him as a pitcher.”

As for Reyzelman, he says he would love to don No. 18 (chai, Hebrew for “life”) on his Yankees uniform if given the chance: “That would be awesome. It was always lucky in my family and in Judaism, though I am not so big on numbers.”

He makes it a point to note that he appreciates the Jewish players who have come before him. He especially admires baseball legend, Sandy Koufax. “We all know the story. He definitely has to be one of the biggest. And I didn’t know until recently that Ian Kinsler [MLB legend and current Team Israel manager] is Jewish!”

Reyzelman has been following Team Israel and has watched (and re-watched) the 86-minute documentary about them called “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.” He says, “I know the whole team from the documentary,” and adds that he would welcome the opportunity to play for Israel’s baseball team—in fact, “I am trying to get it set up for next year.”

He also acknowledges that he would be eligible to play in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers but would need to become a citizen of Israel to potentially play in the Olympics.

Peter Kurz, general manager of Israel’s Olympic and National teams, replies that he would be thrilled to see Reyzelman one day wearing the blue and white. He is also delighted to see him playing in New York—sort of.

He notes dryly, “as a Mets fan, he should be going to Queens … .”

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Original article published in the JNS

Maccabiah educator Jennifer Brodsky says “there is an opportunity to think about Jewish identity and to add context that can often be as impactful” as the sports competitions themselves.

ISRAEL—The road to the Maccabiah is long and challenging for athletes in individual and team sports. Those lucky enough to make it to Israel’s 21st Maccabiah Games had to persevere through tryouts and qualifications, and meet standards set by each sport. The games, which held its opening ceremony on July 14 at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, are slowly winding down this week with finals underway.

They offered an array of sports—familiar and less familiar—in cities throughout Israel, both well-known and off the beaten path. Athletes, family members and all the media that covered the events needed to be mindful of travel times and distances to assure they were in the right place for each event. Jerusalem served as host for many competitions, including football (soccer) basketball, athletics, tennis, hockey, futsal and weightlifting. Haifa hosted the Youth Maccabiah version of many of the same events.

Netanya, which lies between Tel Aviv and Haifa on the Mediterranean coast and is home to beautiful beaches, hosted several competitions, including beach volleyball, basketball 3×3 (pronounced three ex-three), surfing, ninja, climbing, and beach football. For the first time, it also held surf life-saving competitions.

Other host cities and venues included Wingate Institute (rugby, swimming, water polo and futsal masters competition); Tel Aviv (artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and cycling in the Velodrome); Tiberias (sprint triathlon); Ra’anana (netball competitions, table tennis, squash and youth baseball); Ramat Hasharon (tennis masters); Hadera (judo, karate and masters football); Ganei Tikva (fencing); Ashdod and Lod (cricket); Nof HaGalil (youth football); Ramat Gan (paddle competitions); Dalyiat al-Karmel (badminton); Gezer Regional Council (softball); and Sharona (equestrian).

As of Sunday, Israel led the medal wins by far with a total in the hundreds, with the United States in second place and Argentina in third.

Uruguay playing the United States on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on July 24, 2022. Photo by Howard Blas.

‘Inseparable part of the Israeli community’

Maccabiah chairman Arik Ze’evi is very aware of the scale of this year’s games. He says “the Maccabiah has grown over the years, and there is not a single Olympic village that can accommodate it all. Therefore, this year, the entire State of Israel is going to be our Olympic village, with competitions and events all over the country.”

Some sports even made their debut this year. In addition to surf life-saving, they include wave surfing, climbing, 3X3 basketball, motocross and paddle. In addition, after 33 years, the weightlifting contest has returned.

One singular aspect of the Maccabiah as compared to other large sports events like the Olympics is that it features juniors’ adults, masters and people with disabilities in one event. Ze’evi is particularly proud of the inclusion of people with disabilities, noting that “the Maccabiah is an inseparable part of the Israeli community. As such, this year the Maccabiah is hosting the Paralympic Games in a variety of sports and competitions.”

There is another note to the games, and that is in the realm of teaching and culture, assisted by an entire Maccabiah education department.

A U.S. athlete watches the game with Uruguay on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on July 24, 2022. Photo by Howard Blas.

Maccabiah educator Jennifer Brodsky notes that many non-sports opportunities are woven into the games, including tourism, information on Israel in general and resources for Jewish players. “There is an opportunity to think about Jewish identity and to add context,” she says, “that can be as impactful” as the competitions themselves.

The final few days of the Maccabiah proved especially exciting with the July 21 artistic gymnastics and wheelchair basketball finals, as well as the motocross competition. July 22 featured the ice-hockey final and July 23 the women’s soccer final.

July 24 was a big day with finals in men’s and women’s rugby, men’s water polo, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s soccer. In men’s basketball, the United States defeated France 81-70.

Usually, the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is quiet this time of the year, but it was very much alive on Sunday night. The stands were packed with soccer fans wearing blue and white “Uruguay” jerseys as they enthusiastically cheered on their beloved team. Uruguay went up 3-0 and held on to defeat the United States 3-2.

Jacky Wyluzanski, a Jerusalem native of 20 years who made aliyah from Uruguay, was coordinating a last-minute Mincha minyan at halftime as the Tararam Israeli music and dance group performed on the field. While clearly pleased that his team was ahead at halftime, he noted: “Achdut (‘unity’) is what the Maccabiah is about; it doesn’t matter if you root for Uruguay or the U.S.!”

The 2022 Maccabiah Games were originally planned for 2021. Since they are scheduled to take place every four years, they will get back on track with the 22nd Maccabiah in 2025.

The audience watches Uruguay vs. the United States on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on July 24, 2022. Photo by Howard Blas.
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