Admittedly, the Abraham Accords and Israel’s exciting new relationship with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco is big news.  50,000 Israelis have reportedly traveled to UAE alone in recent months.  But the biggest feel-good Israel story coming out of Israel in recent weeks is… Deni Avdija!

For those who have been living under a rock—or simply don’t follow the National Basketball Association, Deni is a 6 foot 9-inch basketball player—only 19 years old—who was drafted #9 in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards.  Avdija is the son of a Serbian Muslim father who played professional basketball both in Serbia and Israel, and an Israeli Jewish mother.  He played with Maccabi Tel Aviv and just completed his shortened Tzahal (Israel Army) service where he had the status of a “sports standout.” 

Following a very shortened NBA pre-season, where Deni was super successful, he stands a chance of being in the starting lineup in the Wizard’s first regular season game this Wednesday against the 76ers in Philadelphia.  Head Coach Scott Brooks has started him in 2 of 3 pre-season games, and watched him successfully play off the bench in the other game. He was nearly perfect in his first game—hitting several field goals and 3 point shots, and last night, he lead both teams in rebounds with 10.  Deni played 31 minutes and 38 seconds—more than any other Wizard including NBA legend, Russell Westbrook.   At last night’s post-game media session, Westbrook had only amazing things to say about Deni.  Westbrook has been acting like a coach and mentor to Deni.

It is remarkable how far Deni has come in such a short time.  I have enjoyed watching him and asking questions at the media sessions.   Yes—he will miss family, friends and the beach.  Yes, he will be in search of good Israeli chumous, which another reporter pointed out he can get very near to the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. And yes—he is very young!  When I asked which of his NBA idols he was most looking forward to playing with or against, he said he didn’t have any actual idols, but he was looking forward to playing in person with guys he had only played against in video games!  Wow, that is young!

I am confident that Deni will have as much class as two previous Israelis who played in the NBA—Omri Casspi and Gal Mekel. They took the job of representing Israeli very seriously—signing autographs, participating in Jewish community events and, in the case of Omri, bringing fellow NBA players to Israel. 

I hope to write a lot about Deni this season—he is the best story coming out of Israel and he is great for Israel hasbara.  There is even a Washington Wizards Twitter feed in Hebrew!

The three articles I have written so far are here!

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When Ross Kriel, President of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, invited Rabbi Yehuda Sarna to give a shiur (class) during Chanukah in 2016, Sarna immediately knew what he would teach.  Sarna would address the question of Jews are to place the Chanukah menorah.   At the time, Sarna shared that the preference is to light it outside, though we are permitted to light inside out of fear.  Now, Sarna tells several hundred on today’s UJA Federation New York-sponsored “Celebrate Hanukkah with the UJA” Zoom meeting, “Chanukah menorahs are all over town.  It is quite a dramatic transformation.”   Kriel adds, “You can also hear Hebrew spoken, see kipot and tzitzit (ritual fringes) out, and kosher restaurants.  “We have taken leaps, not steps since the signing of the Abraham Accords.  It has intensified all over the city!”

Rabbi Elie Abadie, former rabbi of Manhattan’s Safra Synagogue, recently relocated to the region to become the Senior Rabbi in Residence of the Jewish Council of the Emirates.  “Every night, I have lit the menorah in a different place,” recounts Abadie, as he lit the menorah over Zoom for the several hundred participants who were eager to learn about the Jewish community of the UAE and what appears to be a “warm peace” ahead as the result of the recently signed Abraham Accords.  “In the UAE, you can feel the enthusiasm of the people!”  The panelists proudly reported that there is now a Chanukah menorah standing outside the Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s tallest building, which is which 2,717 feet tall and contains 209 floors  

Abadie will be a true asset to the community.  He was born in Beirut, Lebanon, grew up in Mexico City, and is fluent in seven languages including Arabic. His language skills will likely come in handy in the UAE. 

Jeff Schoenfeld, immediate past president of the UJA-Federation and a frequent business traveler to the Middle East shared in his opening remarks that the UAE consists of “one million locals and is dominated by 9 million expats who live and contribute to the vitality of the UAE.   Abadie is also a physician and a scholar of Sephardic Jewry.  Several years ago, Abadie was invited to see what he describes as the “nascent community.”  He was pleased to be the sofer who completed a sefer torah in UAE which was presented as a gift to the leaders of the UAE.  “I believe that, given the Abraham Accords, we are at a historic moment, we are at the crossroad of history.”  He appreciates the tremendous responsibility he will have and adds, “I felt religiously compelled to take the opportunity, to step up to the plate and build up the beautiful community.”

They are off to a good start.  When Kriel, a lawyer, arrived from South Africa 10 years ago with his wife (who at the time was the only kosher caterer in the UAE) and family, the Jewish community was small, with members of all backgrounds worshipping in a small villa.  “We were inclusive and created a beautiful ethos of comradery and love of Israel.”  He hopes to carry these core values forward as the community expands. “We are 300 Jews, and we expect to increase to 3000 families in ten years.”  He expects this will require a lot of “ramping up.” 

Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, the Chief Rabbi of the UAE, who commutes between Manhattan and the UAE, is also the Executive Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University and the NYU university chaplain.  He first came to the UAE in 2010 as part of an NYU team sent to interview high school students from around the world who were seeking admission at NYU’s Dubai campus.  “This visit was transformative,” reports Sarna.  “I had to confront stereotypes of Arabs in the region.” 

During his once or twice a year visits, Sarna began addressing the needs of Jews in the UAE.  “There were Jewish administrators, professors, students and some Israelis.  Some were just discovering that they were Jewish.  We had an ad hoc Jewish culture club, we put up a sukkah, and had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services.”  

Sarna continues to be an even more integral part of Jewish life and an important representative of the Jewish community.  He described how visitors are “moved to tears” when they witness the Prayer for the State of Israel, followed by the Prayer for the Welfare of the UAE and its Army.  “Most Jews could have never imagined a prayer for an Arab army!”  Sarna feels the Abrahamic Accords are very different from past accords as they represent a warm peace.  “A warm peace is a peace between people.”

Hamdan al Kindi Al Mara, the founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council, is a fluent English and Hebrew speaker.  “When I started learning Hebrew for myself, I expected it would be dead for me because I couldn’t practice.”  Now, he describes the level of excitement in both Israel and the UAE and notes that trade has already started.”  He adds, “Bloomberg predicts there will be $6 billion in trade between the two counties.”  He has already observed Jews coming to the UAE from Israel and such countries as France.  People are purchasing real estate, there are kosher restaurants and Jewish ceremonies at hotels and he notes, “I saw 50 people with kipot in a mall just today!” 

Hamdad envisions the UAE importing technology including cybersecurity, high tech and agritech from Israel.  He notes that “the first ships from Dubai have already arrived in Haifa!”  He predicts, “We will see billions in trade in both directions.   This is just the beginning.  Let’ all hope for the best and an expanded people with the people of the world.” 





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The Original Article Published On The Jewish News Syndicate

The Israeli basketball star notes that he is “excited to play against the NBA greats—all the guys I played against when I was little … in video games!”

Israel’s Deni Avdija recently moved from Israel to Washington, found an apartment, met with the media at a Washington Wizards press conference and ate his first meal at Chipotle Mexican Grill. “I really liked the idea of Chipotle. I like to eat healthy. And it was kind of healthy!”

Avdija, the 19-year-old Maccabi Tel Aviv phenom, was taken No. 9 overall by the Wizards in the recent NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 inch, 225-pound forward is excited to play in the NBA and understands what it means to make it to the most elite league in the sport and to represent Israel. “I worked so hard to get here. I am here to show Israelis there is no limit.”

In a pre-season debut on Sunday night at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., he played a near-perfect game to the delight of fans—Israeli, Jewish and otherwise. The Wizards have also embraced Israel, where basketball is one of the nation’s top sports, and launched a Twitter account in Hebrew.

Israeli-born Liron Fanan, a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the director of player development for the Canton Charge of NBA’s G League (and a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers) stresses the importance of Avdija drafting so high and playing in the NBA for Israelis. “It is a great accomplishment for Israel to have another Israeli in the NBA. When Omri [Casspi] went, it made a huge impact. We see where Israel basketball has gone in the 11 years that he played. It got bigger and better, and pushed kids to believe it is possible and to give their all—not just to see basketball as a hobby, but they can dream about the NBA. Deni is a vivid example of it. He probably watched Omri at night and dreamed!”

She also points out that another Israeli was picked in the recent NBA Draft.

“Yam Madar is also a great player. I think Deni helped Yam as well since scouts were watching Israel basketball more,” she says. “This is huge for Israel basketball.”

Madar was drafted by the Boston Celtics and will remain with his current team, Hapoel Tel Aviv of Israeli’s Premier League, for at least one more season. “It puts Israel on the sports map in the world and gives kids reason to keep trying their best,” adds Fanan.

Avdija spoke with the media about the contrast between growing up and playing in Israel, and now playing being on a bigger stage in a much bigger country. “I grew up in a comfortable environment where everyone knew me,” he says. “Now is a new beginning, a new career. It’s like starting over again. I am a tough kid who has been through a lot. I am ready!”

And he will have the support of the local Jewish and Israeli communities. Casspi, his mentor and friend who played 11 years in the NBA, has helped prepare Avdija for the experience. Casspi is well-known for representing Israel and Judaism in a positive way, including speaking with and signing autographs for his many fans, and for bringing fellow NBA players to visit Israel—often with a visit to his parents’ home for a meal. Casspi has also participated in Basketball Without Borders, a program sponsored by the NBA and other organizations that brings together the top 60 or more boys and girls ages 17 and under from 22 countries. The group traveled to Israel in 2017.

Once it is deemed safe in terms of the coronavirus, Avdija is looking forward to interacting with audiences. “Israeli fans are the best,” he exclaims. “There are Israeli and Jewish fans in the United States, and I will have their support. I will represent Israel and the Jewish community the best as I can.”

‘A major chapter in the country’s basketball story’

Matthew Levitt, a Fromer-Wexler Fellow and the director of the Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism & Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, appreciates both Avdija’s basketball skills and the educational prospects his playing in Washington have to offer. “It will also be an opportunity for D.C. sports fans to get to know an Israeli athlete who reflects aspects of Israeli culture they may not be familiar with,” he said. “Israeli society is about more than conflict and religion. The child of a Muslim father and Jewish mother who grew up on a kibbutz, Avdija may challenge some common misperceptions about Israel. He will certainly challenge those assigned to defend him on the court!”

Marc Stein, the NBA correspondent for The New York Times, notes a wonderful irony in Avdija, a Maccabi Tel Aviv star, who is now joining the Washington Wizards. “People may not remember that the Wizards, then known as the Bullets, were the first NBA franchise to play Maccabi in the late 1970s, and now Deni goes to the nation’s capital as the first NBA lottery pick in Israeli history,” he writes. “It’s a great opportunity for him because the Wizards wanted him badly and never thought he would slip to them at No. 9, and it’s obviously a major chapter in the country’s basketball story.”

An additional irony is that Avdija joins the team whose name was changed from Bullets, stemming directly from the sadness then team owner Abe Pollin felt when his dear friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated by a bullet in 1995.

While eager to start his NBA career, Avdija realizes that he will miss a lot of things about Israel, including friends and family. He quips that he will also miss good Israeli hummus, but adds that “hopefully, good guides will show me some.”

One reporter on the recent Zoom media session pointed out that there indeed is a restaurant that serves the iconic Middle Easter dish very close to the Capital One Arena. Avdija was pleased.

He also acknowledges he will miss Israel’s stunning shorelines. “I love to go to the beach, but it is not an option. I will find new hobbies for sure.”

The youthful Avdija playfully notes that he is “excited to play against the NBA greats—all the guys I played against when I was little … in video games!”

In fact, he continues to be positive about all that awaits. After all, he declares: “You gotta do what you gotta do!”

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Original Article Published On The Jewish News Syndicate

“I thought, ‘Whoa, you are in the Barclay Center, playing against all those players you saw on TV, and now you’re just playing against them on the court,” said the 6-foot-9-inch Israeli forward.

Coach Scott Brooks liked what he saw in his newest player, Israeli Deni Avdija, during the short Washington Wizards pre-season. He decided to start Avdija in the first NBA pre-season game on Sunday evening against NBA legends Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. Brooks wasn’t sorry—Avdija was flawless in his NBA debut at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Avdija, sporting No. 9, kept excited Israeli fans up until after 3 a.m. as the Wizards nearly battled back against the Nets. They were unfazed by the 119-114 Nets victory. They stayed awake to see their 19-year-old future NBA star. The 6-foot-9-inch forward scored 15 points in his 24 minutes, shooting with 100 percent accuracy. He was three-for-three from three-point range and scored six points from the field. Avdija also had four rebounds and had two assists.

Brooks like what he saw.

“I liked that he competed,” he said, “that he took the challenges and that he was playing against some high-level players who have had a lot of success and experience in this league, but he took the challenge. I talked to him before the game and said the only pressure I will put on you is that you will go out there and play hard. I said, ‘You do that already, so the pressure is gone. That’s how you gain respect from your teammates, opponents and referees. Go out there and play hard, and don’t complain about anything.’ I think he did that tonight.”

Brooks admired his perfect game, though is mindful that won’t happen every time. “He’s not going to go every game and not miss a shot, but he played the right way; he wasn’t looking to force anything. If there was a pass to make, he made the pass; if there was an open shot, he made the shot. He drove when he had to drive. He was solid, and in order to have success in this league, you really got just be solid. If you are solid, you will have big-time success in this league.”

Avdija was proud of his performance and confident, although he acknowledged some initial nervousness when he stepped out onto the court. “At the beginning, I thought, ‘Whoa, you are in the Barclay Center, playing against all those players you saw on TV, and now you’re just playing against them on the court. It was cool at the beginning. I think my teammates were with me and pushed me forward, and as soon as I broke through, I felt comfortable. I played hard, and look what happened.”

‘It was a helluva journey to get here’

Avdija reported that his confidence comes from his three years playing professionally in Israel in the EuroLeague.

These days, he said, he is “repping a lot and keeping up with my mechanics. What is going to happen is going to happen. If I have the confidence, I am going to shoot it, so I may as well not be afraid.”

Avdija also has the support of his teammates. NBA veteran Russell Westbrook didn’t play on Sunday, but appeared to be sporting a clipboard and offering guidance on the sidelines to his teammates.

Brooks said he is “always into the game and was helping one of the young players.”

Avdija appreciated that. “He brings a lot of happiness and smiles and makes us love the game. He is a super competitor; he will always be there, and he is someone to learn from. I am glad he is on my team.”

The Wizards will play two more pre-season games (both at home against the Detroit Pistons) before starting their shortened season on the road on Dec. 23 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Unlike last season, NBA teams will not play in a special bubble in Florida. Each team will play 72 regular-season games, which is 10 games fewer than in a typical, 82-game NBA season.

The reality of Avdija’s journey from Israel to the NBA is beginning to set in for him. “It is amazing; it is a dream coming true,” he said. “I worked so hard for it.”

He knows that fans, family and friends don’t fully understand the effort required to get to the place he’s in now, saying “it was a helluva journey to get here.”

Avdija explained that “four years ago, I was just a kid going up to the professional league. I was so nervous about going to the court and scored one point. I woke up early and stayed late to shoot. I was in the gym while my friends were hanging out. That’s what brought me here, and that’s why it’s so fun. I see what it brings me, so I’ll never take my foot off the gas.”

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