|
AVENTURA, Florida (Press Release)– Triangle Financial Services, the owner of the Maccabi Haifa professional basketball team (Israeli Premier League) and Hapoel Kiryat Tivon (Israeli Second Division), announced on Tuesday that Hapoel Kiryat Tivon has signed former Harvard University guard Drew Housman and former California State Northridge guard Isaac Aftalion for the 2009-10 season.
Both players attended a two-day U.S. tryout at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on July 28 and 29 held by Triangle Financial Services in search of talent for both Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Kiryat Tivon.
Housman, 22, a native of Calabasas, California, played four seasons at Harvard University from 2005-2009. Housman, a two-time All-Ivy League selection, finished his career with a total of 1,228 points, which is 14th all-time at Harvard. He is fourth all-time with 157 steals and sixth with 339 assists. Housman is the team’s all-time career leader in games played (113) and started (102).
During his senior year in the Ivy League, Housman thrived averaging 11.6 points while shooting 53 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. In league games, Housman recorded 19 steals and dished out a league-best 52 assists against 21 turnovers. For the season, Housman averaged 9.6 points and recorded 77 assists to 40 turnovers. He shot 47 percent overall and a team-leading 42 percent from three-point range. In 2007-08, Housman was named first-team All-American by the Jewish Sports Review.
Housman, who made aliyah to become an Israeli citizen, will practice with Maccabi Haifa during the season with an option to be called up.
“I can’t wait to get out to Israel and begin the season,” said Housman. “It was a thrill coming to the tryout in South Florida and having the opportunity to showcase my skills.”
Isaac Aftalion, 25, played guard at California State Northridge during the 2003-04 season in which the team reached the Big West Conference Finals. Aftalion, a native of Los Angeles, CA, signed with the Hollywood Fame of the ABA in 2008-09. In high school, he averaged 24 points per game, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and was named League MVP. Aftalian holds both American and Israeli citizenship.
“It has been a dream of mine to play professionally in Israel. I am looking forward to helping Tivon and trying to guide our team into the playoffs,” said Aftalion.
“We are thrilled to sign Drew and Isaac to Tivon,” said Maccabi Haifa owner Jeffrey Rosen. “Both of them are very talented and intelligent basketball players who were hungry to get the chance to play in Israel.”
Cyber-Referral
Boaz Meir, West Coast regional director for the Jewish Agency, sends along a story from the Jewish Daily Forward about Americans teaching English in Israel's peripheral areas under auspices of the Israel Teacher Corps. Here's the link.
Go to top of next column
|
|
Palestinian, Israeli kids attend soccer camp together
TEL AVIV (Press Release)—Over 100 Palestinian and Israeli children came together earlier this month for a special soccer camp, aimed at fostering mutual understanding, building lasting friendships, and creating a new generation of youth advocates for peace.
The children, aged 10 – 12, from underprivileged communities in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, played, learned, and lived together—enjoying soccer, swimming and other sports, educational and cultural activities, and peace education workshops. The camp’s comfortable and fun setting created conditions in which it is possible to replace animosity and negative stereotypes with friendship and mutual respect.
“We won’t forget this camp. We didn’t know anything about Israeli children, but now, after this encounter, we got to know them more as people and human beings. We can live together!”, said Kusai, an 11 year-old boy from Jericho in the Palestinian Authority.
Kusai’s sentiments were echoed by Liron, 12, from the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat: ““When I came to the camp, I didn’t think I would get along with Arabs, but in the end it worked out. I played soccer with them and it was fantastic!”
In its second year, the camp was run jointly by the Sports Department of the Peres Center for Peace (Israeli), together with the Al-Quds Association of Democracy and Dialogue (Palestinian). It is funded by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, through its Irish Aid program.
The campers were led by a mixed team of Israeli and Palestinian coaches and counselors, providing a positive role model to the youngsters. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the kids to meet ‘the other side’ and to work together on the common goal of a better future," said Anwar Zeidan, the head Palestinian coach.
In addition, the children were coached by professional coaches from the Football Association of Ireland, and visited the training ground of Israel’s Premier League soccer champions Maccabi Haifa, and met the players.
Tamar Hay-Sagiv, director of the Peres Center’s Sports Department, emphasizes that sports are a uniquely effective vehicle for breaking down barriers of enmity and distrust. “The Peres Center for Peace has brought thousands of Israeli and Palestinian children together through a wide range of programs, with sports as their central platform. On the soccer field, Palestinian and Israeli kids learn they can compete without confrontation, win without vanquishing, and lose without humiliation.”
The camp is held in the Shfeya youth village, near the northern Israeli town of Zichron Ya’akov, in two one-week sessions, between August 2 – 13.
Mike Huckabee on visit to Israel
TEL AVIV (Press Release)– Television and radio commentator Mike Huckabee traveled to Israel this week on EL AL Airlines. While there, Huckabee is broadcasting his talk show live from Jerusalem.
Accompanied by New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind and wife Shani, Huckabee is also visiting important tourist sites and meeting with government officials. This is the tenth visit to Israel for the former Governor of Arkansas and former Republican U.S. presidential aspirant.
|
