Maccabi Ra’Anana’s Basketball Team Carries Hope Amidst Israel’s Grief

In a poignant and emotionally charged moment at the Barclays Center, Yehu Orland, coach of Maccabi Ra’Anana’s basketball team, stood on the sidelines as his team faced the Brooklyn Nets in a preseason game. His thoughts, however, were with his homeland, Israel, thousands of miles away, where they had just laid to rest his close friend, Lt. Col. Eli Ginsburg, who had fallen in the conflict with Hamas.

Orland expressed the depth of his personal tragedy, saying, “I lost one of my best friends. For me, it’s a personal tragedy. But for our country, it’s everybody’s tragedy.” Despite the heart-wrenching events unfolding in Israel, the team embarked on a three-game tour of the United States, starting with the game against the Nets and continuing with matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

When the team first arrived in the U.S. the previous week, they could not have foreseen the horrors that would soon engulf their homeland. Tragically, Hamas had launched a terror attack on Israel, resulting in the loss of over a thousand lives and dozens of hostages taken by the militant group within Gaza.

The decision to proceed with the tour was not taken lightly. Lead sponsor Jeffrey Rosen revealed that the team gathered to discuss the tour in light of the attacks. Ultimately, the players and management agreed that the best course of action was to continue with the games. One player chose to return to Israel, but the rest felt that playing was a way to send a message of hope amidst the unspeakable tragedy.

Nets center Nic Claxton voiced some reservations, acknowledging that there were more significant events happening globally than basketball. Nevertheless, for Maccabi Ra’Anana, taking to the court was a means to provide hope and strength in a time of immense sorrow. Orland underlined the importance of lifting the spirits of young people in Israel who are struggling in the face of despair.

Israeli singer Noa Kirel, hailing from Ra’Anana, sang the national anthem with the Israeli flag draped over her, and the Nets held a moment of silence to honor the lives lost in the ongoing conflict.

For Jonathan Mor, Ra’Anana’s starting power forward, the game offered a temporary escape from the anguish that had enveloped him and his teammates. They had received distressing messages and watched harrowing videos coming out of Gaza, which deeply affected them. Mor admitted to a lack of sleep and the difficulty of focusing on the game. However, as the game progressed, he noticed smiles on his teammates’ faces. These moments, he said, provided some relief and allowed them to divert their thoughts from the horrors in their homeland.

While Mor has been checking on the well-being of his friends and family in Israel, Coach Orland’s thoughts remained centered on the loss of Lt. Col. Eli Ginsburg. Ginsburg had served in the army for 23 years, retiring a month ago but reenlisting once the war commenced. Orland expressed both sadness and pride, describing Ginsburg as a hero who had chosen to protect Israel.

The emotional weight of the game was palpable, particularly when Israel’s national anthem was performed. Orland revealed that he expected to cry during the anthem and did, but he also shared how Ginsburg’s words about true toughness during a visit with the national under-16 team had taken on new significance. The loss was profound, but the coach emphasized the importance of moving forward with hope, symbolized by taking one step forward even amid the tears and the broken hearts.

Maccabi Ra’Anana’s journey through the United States became more than just a basketball tour; it became a mission to shine a beacon of hope during the darkest of times in their homeland.