My journey to Israel, to Kiryat Moshe and back to Toronto and Hoops!

Written by: Melissa Grosser

In May 2008, I finally took the plunge to travel far and to get in touch with my roots: I went on Birthright! After years of hearing how wonderful the trip was, I made it a point to be a participant on this trip. With one of my best friends and over twenty-five strangers, I flew away from my life in Toronto to embark on a trip of a lifetime.

After ten hours of flying, our group landed in Israel. Although I felt tired, I stepped off the plane and was immediately energized by all of the excitement around me. Having never been to the holy land before, I was even ecstatic walking through the pathways of the Ben Gurion airport.

Once our baggage was collected, my group and I were bussed to our first location of touring. Once the tour finished, my friends and I took some down time to relax, eat some great Israeli ice cream and take in the sights. At this point, my trip leader Dave Goodman was telling me that one of the key ingredients that will make this trip memorable was our group’s charity project in Kiryat Moshe. This community happened to be the focus of Hoops 4 Israel’s charitable plans. As I heard this, I thought “I am here to experience Israel and all of its beauty. It would be great to make a difference and give back to their communities.”

After several days of touring, my group and I arrived in Kiryat Moshe. As our bus stopped, I looked out the window and saw at least two sports courts, a few buildings and tons of Ethiopian Jewish children joyously playing sports and outdoor games.

The afternoon was spent playing basketball and soccer with the children and helping them to make “cheer” packages for the Israeli soldiers. While helping a little boy make a package, I noticed he would draw pictures of soldiers and put little hearts and stars next to them. Although there was a language gap between the two of us, it amazed me how this little boy and the other children would express how grateful they are for the army’s service to Israel.

When the afternoon had ended and our group headed back to the bus, I was sad to leave but was so happy to have spent the time with these children and to see how Hoops 4 Israel has changed the lives of these children.

As a child, I participated in sports and dance because I loved the activity, the social aspect, the involvement and as much as I don’t like to admit it, it introduced me to the concept of discipline and hard work. I couldn’t imagine my childhood without these activities; I am so glad that the children in Kiryat Moshe don’t have to either.

Since returning from my Birthright trip, I have been active in volunteering with Hoops 4 Israel and never intend to stop. Seeing the difference that Hoops has made for this community and for these children is incredible. Although I am a tiny piece of a huge puzzle of volunteers, it warms my heart to bring joy to these children through fun activities such as sports, art and dance classes and other educational programs. After seeing it firsthand, I remembered how much I took my childhood activities for granted and am glad to help provide these children with the same opportunities. The fact that I am helping to make change means a lot.

Nice Chemistry: Taglit-Birthright Israel & Hoops 4 Israel

Since 2007, Canada Israel Experience, the leading trip organizer of Taglit-Birthright Israel in Canada has partnered with the Jewish Agency of Israel to provide volunteer outlets during the trip where participants could learn about the challenges of Ethiopian Olim (immigrants) in both Kiryat Moshe and Bat Yam. The volunteer projects have been a huge success over the past three years, ranging from painting projects to packing gift packages for Israelis serving the IDF.

In June 2007, David Goodman (founder of H4I) had the privilege of bringing his national bus to visit Kiryat Moshe on the final day of their trip and the grand opening of the outdoor sports-court that was built with the funds of Hoops 4 Israel from April 2007. Speeches, dancing and an inaugural basketball game put an explanation mark on this Birthright Israel trip, emphasizing the significance of volunteer work in support of Israel from the Diaspora (outside of Israel).

The inaugural basketball game: Birthright Israel vs. Yechallal sponsored basketball team in Kiryat Moshe

Birthright Israel participants repaint an old post-office in the centre of Kiryat Moshe

Since that initial visit to Kiryat Moshe, Laura Kindler & Leah Biteolin have facilitated over 25 projects with Taglit-Birthright Israel buses, involving 1000+ Canadian Jews in Tikkun Olam (meaning: 'repairing the world') in conjunction with at-risk Ethiopian Israeli youth.

Basketball games are a staple when CIE Birthright Israel trips visit Kiryat Moshe

A CIE Birthright Israel group visits Bat Yam in December 2008

Laura "Superwoman" Kindler, delivers messages to BRI pariticipants and youth of the Kadimah centre in Bat Yam

A visit with a David Goodman bus guarantees a couple case loads of rubber basketballs as a corporate donation from Wilson Canada through Jim Sanderson.

If you have interest in donating tangible goods that can be delivered to children in Bat Yam or Kiryat Moshe, please contact davidg@hoops4israel.com to arrange transferring the merchandise via Birthright Israel trips to our constituents in Israel.

Leah Biteolin: The Living Bridge

Smart, outgoing, stunning and accomplished, Leah Biteolin has made the best of the opportunity the Israeli government granted her family in 1984 by absorbing them amongst 100,000+ other Ethiopians since the early 1980's. Currently, she works on her law degree from Ono College in Israel, but her vocation has her serving as the "living bridge", executing city to city partnerships with Toronto & Switzerland to provide overwhelming support to vulnerable Ethiopian communities in Israel, Kiryat Moshe & Bat Yam.

Leah speaking at the General Assembly in Washington (2009)

Leah with soon-to-be Ethiopian-Israelis at an absorption centre in Ethiopia (2008)

Hoops 4 Israel has been fortunate enough to have benefited from the dedicated work of Leah since 2007. She has been intimately involved in introducing Canadian Birthright Israel groups to the situation of Ethiopian Israeli at-risk youth, to mentoring Jewish Hillel students in long-term volunteer programs in such communities for more than 3 years now.

“My first toothbrush was a gift from Americans who came to visit the absorption center in Kiryat Gat where we were living. It was very exciting,” remembers Leah Biteolin.

Her family risked everything to realize their dream of making aliyah from Ethiopia in 1984. Leah was three years old. Leah integrated quickly into Israeli society. She did her national service as a medic with Magen David Adom and later received her degree in political science and public communications from Bar Ilan University.

Leah with colleague and mentor, Laura Kindler (Representative of Partnership Communities)

Leah carries herself with a Mediterranean flare and zest for life, living each day to its fullest. Her dedication to her services with the Jewish agency and her partnership communities is astounding. “My work is really meaningful. We are creating a living link between Jewish communities everywhere and Israel,” says Leah.

The Bat-Yam - Toronto Partnership is already making the city a national example of successful integration through intensive investment in educational programs for Ethiopian-Israeli elementary and high school students, and vocational and professional training programs for their parents. “One example is the Youth Futures program,” says Leah, “which is helping children bridge critical educational, social and extracurricular gaps.”

Leah has been instrumental in acting as this bridge, connecting Federations from other cities, volunteers, Birthright Israel Participants and the Hoops 4 Israel project with the communities of Kiryat Moshe & Bat Yam. This blog post is just a little tribute to the great work Leah does for Israel, but to learn more or to get in touch with her, please contact dave@hoops4israel.com.

Time for some Indoor Ball in KM Town!

After the 2007 redevelopment of the outdoor sports court in April, the H4I committee set its sights on something bigger to leave their mark on the town of Kiryat Moshe. The structure next to the sports-court had been left vacant for years, and was an ideal location to create an indoor sporting outlet for the community's youth to use during hot or rainy times of year.

The inside of this building was in bad need of a facelift, with broken windows, infestation, and no amenities of a sports facility; the contractors had their work cut out for them.

The project was to be complete by summer 2009, and we are happy to announce that with the great work of the Rashi Foundation and the municipality of Rehovot (The capital city in Israel to which Kiryat Moshe is a suburb to), the building went through the following transformation...

The reconstructed entrance to the indoor sports hall

The sports hall can also be converted for a variety of indoor sports and has the possibility of hosting bar/bat mitzvah's and town hall meetings. Other amenities that the building has are:

• a new roof
• new windows and bars
• acoustic ceiling
• a sports court surface
• coed change rooms and washrooms
• a myriad of sports equipment to stock the hall courtesy of H4I 2008
• A new main entrance
• Basketball nets
  

Over $80,000 was taken from the Hoops 4 Israel 2008 campaign to help fund the redevelopment of this amazing space. The remaining funds went to fund an extensive social rec program called 'Yuvalim', in the vulnerable Ethiopian community in Bat Yam.

Friend to the Ethiopians: Cabbie on the Street

On a media mission to Israel in July 2007, the Score crew of 'Cabbie on the Street', lead by Cabral Richards and Dave Krikst (Cabbie's Manager & former Birthright Israel leader), joined the Sun sports writer Steve Simmons and Jordan Kerbel of CJC to stop through Kiryat Moshe to learn about the Hoops 4 Israel project. Cabbie & crew were on a mission throughout Israel to cover Israeli sports, but their stop in Kiryat Moshe opened Cabbie's eyes to the social divide amongst the Ethiopian population from many other neighbourhood's in Israel.

Cabbie in the Golan Heights

Kiryat Moshe's outdoor sports court, redeveloped by H4I funding from 2007

Cabbie & crew made it to KM town just after the outdoor sports court was introduced to the community. The sports court was redeveloped with the funds from Hoops 4 Israel 2007 in partnership with the Municipality of Rehovot & the Rashi Foundation. Its flood lights enable night balling and in turn, keeps kids off the streets and engaged in soccer and basketball.

Because Cabbie is known for his charismatic and intriguing interviews of the 'whose who' in the sports world, it was a real treat to have him show the same love for the youth of Kiryat Moshe and the Hoops 4 Israel project that summer. He even made an effort to come the 2008 event and host the shootout contest during half-time. What a guy!

Cabbie interviewing the Lakers, Kobe Bryant later that year

Cabbie interviewing David Goodman, co-founder of Hoops 4 Israel in July 2007

Cabbie's compassion to the Ethiopian-Israeli youth did not end after this brief visit to Kiryat Moshe. Since July 2007, Cabral has sent several boxes of sports apparel to a social worker he met during the visit. Hoops 4 Israel discovered this by chance, but when we learned of his incredible altruism and his desire to give back, we knew the youth of Kiryat Moshe found a new friend in Canada. The Hoops committee invited Cabbie to host the shootout at H4I 2008 and Cabbie brought his energy and humor to lift the event to the next level.

Cabbie with Yitzhak & Moshe during filming in July 2007

Cabbie with Yisrael Desta after he miraculously wins the 3-Point shootout contest

Cabbie with Kirsten Menkes at Hoops 4 Israel 2008 after she wins the womens shootout

Cabbie and Dave Krikst with a crew from Bat Yam with Laura Kindler (Partner of Hoops 4 Israel) in July 2007

Cabral with Leah Biteolin (partner of Hoops 4 Israel)