Athletes for Israel: Bridging Cultures and Combating Antisemitism One Trip at a Time
BYU delegation at Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a world increasingly shaped by social media influence, polarized discourse and public opinion, one organization is using an unexpected yet profoundly powerful tool to combat antisemitism and reframe public perception of Israel: athletics. Athletes for Israel was founded six years ago with a bold mission — to leverage the […]
In a world increasingly shaped by social media influence, polarized discourse and public opinion, one organization is using an unexpected yet profoundly powerful tool to combat antisemitism and reframe public perception of Israel: athletics.
Athletes for Israel was founded six years ago with a bold mission — to leverage the global reach of professional and collegiate athletes to promote a deeper understanding of Israel and challenge rising antisemitism and misinformation. By organizing transformative trips to Israel, the organization provides professional athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB, Division 1 college teams, and more with an up close and personal experience of the country’s history, diversity and complexity, an experience they are then inspired to share with millions of followers around the world. As Athletes for Israel founder Daniel Posner shared, “The goal is that by using their platform, these athletes can reach hundreds of millions of people who are uneducated about Israel and shine a positive light on it.”
BYU delegation at the Dead Sea.
For many non-Jewish individuals, “The only way to understand Israel is to visit it and see it for yourself,” said Posner. “I could tell you until I’m blue in the face that Israel is a diverse country, that 20% of Israelis are not even Jewish, that 60% of Israelis are from the Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Iran or Egypt. But until you see it for yourself, until you see the freedom of religion, until you see the melting pot that Israel is, until you see the people and meet the people and have a real cultural exchange, it’s really hard to describe and to really internalize.”
With the mission of conveying this information to athletes and, by extension, to the world, Athletes for Israel began bringing professional players and college teams to Israel.
AFI began bringing college athletes to Israel when Posner was introduced to Bruce Pearl, Auburn University’s head basketball coach. As Posner told the story, “He’s a big Israel advocate, and he said to me, ‘Daniel, I have this dream, I want to bring my team to Israel.’ I said, ‘Coach, we’re gonna help your dream become a reality.’ Six months later, we brought the entire team to Israel, along with ESPN, which brought an entire camera crew. All of the games that they played in Israel against Israeli teams were televised on ESPN, reaching millions of people.” As Pearl shared after his experience, “We are a misunderstood people, Israel is a misunderstood land, and the best way that we can increase our understanding of it is to come visit. The experience speaks for itself.”
The following year, AFI brought the basketball teams of University of Arizona and Kansas State University to Israel. Since Oct. 7, volunteer missions have been set into motion. Most recently, Athletes for Israel traveled with a delegation of Brigham Young University (BYU) football co-captains. BYU has a population that is 97% Mormon/LDS, and most of its students know very little about Judaism, antisemitism and Israel. BYU’s football team is one of the top 15 football teams in the country, and some of its players will be moving on to the NFL in the coming years.
BYU delegation at the Kotel.
These athletes traveled with AFI on a one-week trip to Israel in early May. The trip was divided into three sections. First, religious and historical exploration: the delegation visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Western Wall, the City of David, and more. Second, cultural exchange: for example, volunteering and service in underprivileged communities. Third, Israeli society in a post-Oct. 7 world: Kibbutz Be’eri and the Nova Festival site, for example. A particular highlight of the trip was Friday night dinner in Jerusalem; the athletes had the opportunity to experience Jewish culture and traditions and compare them with their own connections to their religion and faith.
“The idea behind each one of these trips,” Posner articulated, “is not just to impact each one of the participants, but also for them to use their platform to advocate and spread the knowledge they’ve gained about Israel, what it is and what it isn’t.” At the end of the week, the delegates attend a debriefing dinner, replaying the events and experiences of the trip. The crucial question is as follows: What are you going to take back with you?
For one athlete, the lesson was clear: “I came to Israel not knowing anything. I’m coming back understanding the story of Israel and how misunderstood it is, and why, since Oct. 7, Israel has to fight a war even though they don’t want to fight in wars. They have to protect their citizens. They’re fighting against the terrorist organization called Hamas, which is committing horrible atrocities, and we need to support Israel.”
BYU delegation arriving in Israel.
Before and after each trip, the delegates complete a survey regarding their knowledge on Israel and antisemitism and their experiences; “All of them give enormously high praise and excitement about being involved and excited about telling their stories,” according to Posner. “I think they feel more conviction in their religion. I think they feel more conviction in terms of their support and interest in supporting Israel.” These experiences are not easy to forget, and the hope is that these athletes will bring the emotions associated with the experience back home with them. This feedback makes the entire trip worthwhile, as Posner shared, “We have a real return on our investment. We invest in them so that we can reach a broader community.”
Athletes for Israel, originally inspired by Robert Kraft and AIPAC, believes that social media has a massive impact on public opinion. “If we’re going to invest in combating antisemitism, we need to bring people who have platforms to Israel … we need more people to come and see it with their own eyes.” Posner saw the work being done to turn the tide and said, “We need to do more of this, not just in the political realm.” Sports and entertainment truly are the social fabric of the U.S., and the online platforms of athletes and artists have a substantial influence on politics, especially among Millennials and Gen Z. “We need to make sure that popular culture is with Israel. The one way to do that is by bringing sports stars, athletes and influencers to Israel to help them understand and educate them so that they can educate others,” added Posner.
In its six years, and especially in the aftermath of Oct. 7, Athletes for Israel has reached tens of millions of people. In Posner’s view, “If we reach only the Jewish community, we’ve failed. Our goal is to reach a spectrum of people, which is not the 10% of the people that are with us, not the 10% of the people that hate us or hate Israel. It’s the 80% of the people in the middle who aren’t educated and don’t want to be involved. Sports is the way to connect with them and get them invested.”
As AFI’s mission statement details, “we can together change the narrative and combat antisemitism.” To learn more about Athletes for Israel, visit athletesforisrael.org.
Eliana Birman is the assistant digital editor for The Jewish Link. She is a rising sophomore at Barnard College and lives in Teaneck.
San Giljan Water Polo Club redevelopment gets ERA approval
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has approved a revised land reclamation project tied to the redevelopment of the San Giljan Aquatic Sports Club in St Julian’s, MaltaToday reports. The development is set to feature a restaurant with outdoor seating, a lido for sunbeds, a swimming pool, and upgraded club facilities. An […]
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has approved a revised land reclamation project tied to the redevelopment of the San Giljan Aquatic Sports Club in St Julian’s, MaltaToday reports.
The development is set to feature a restaurant with outdoor seating, a lido for sunbeds, a swimming pool, and upgraded club facilities. An earlier application was withdrawn after the ERA objected to the destruction of protected seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) and the project’s heavy visual impact on Balluta Bay.
In the revised plans, the land reclamation footprint was reduced, cutting projected seagrass loss by 80%, the newspaper reports. A redesigned bullnose breakwater will be built on piles instead of caissons, ensuring the seagrass beneath is not entirely buried. However, some shading and scouring impacts are still expected. An updated Environmental Impact Assessment downgraded the ecological impact from “major significant” to “minor-to-moderate significant.”
While the visual impact has been lessened in some viewpoints – particularly from Pjazza Balluta and Xatt is-Sajjieda – it remains moderate-to-major from other vantage points, including Triq George Borg Olivier and Spinola seafront. ERA noted that such visual effects are “unavoidable” in urbanised land reclamation projects.
During July’s board meeting, NGO representative Martin Galea DeGiovanni and member Charmaine Mangion voted against approval, warning that the project still represents substantial development with lasting pressure on fragile marine habitats, MaltaToday reports.
Despite these objections, ERA’s directorate recommended approval, noting improvements in design and mitigation measures. The permit will require independent monitoring of the marine environment, silt curtains to contain dredging, prevention of spillages, and limits on lighting during construction.
The ERA board approved the project, with only two dissenting votes. Chairman Perit Vincent Cassar underlined the importance of strict monitoring of Posidonia throughout the works, which will be funded by the developer.
ERA’s clearance paves the way for the Planning Authority’s final decision.
The San Giljan club, one of Malta’s leading water polo teams and current Premier Division Winter League champions, has long been seeking modernised facilities to match its sporting stature.
The Piedmont High School boys water polo team is looking forward to another successful season despite a change at the top. Longtime coach John Savage is stepping back this year after his child was born in December. Rik Krumins, who has served as an assistant in several previous seasons will take the reins with Savage […]
The Piedmont High School boys water polo team is looking forward to another successful season despite a change at the top. Longtime coach John Savage is stepping back this year after his child was born in December. Rik Krumins, who has served as an assistant in several previous seasons will take the reins with Savage only coming out once or twice per week.
Savage joked that he will be a “consultant” this year.
Krumins is more than familiar with the program. His son Peter was a standout on the North Coast Section Division 2 championship team in 2023. His daughter Esme is a junior on the Piedmont girls team.
“We’re actually really excited about this group,” Rik Krumins said. “We have a few seniors coming back.” Elles Krieckhaus is one of those.
“He has been on varsity for the past four years,” Krumins said. “He’s going to be our key goal scorer. He’ll be playing two-meters and doing a lot of post up on the side as well as leading our counter attack.”
Goalkeeper Luke McAuliffe is a senior entering his third year as a starter. “He has been playing club,” Krumins said. “He gets out of the water pretty high. He’s a very vocal goalie. Controlling the defense, directing where our players are at certain times.”
Luke McAuliffe
Zach Dupree, another senior, will be seeing an increase in playing time. “He’s an up and coming varsity player,” Krumins said. “He’ll be two-meter offense and prob two-meter defense.”
A couple of returning sophomores will also be key players. Krumins called Rylan Patty, “a very aggressive offensive player, he’ll be doing a lot of post up, driving, counter attacking.”
Zach Dupree (2) at the Napa Tournament
Rylan Patty rises out of the water
Krumins said of Henry Stein that he’s a left-hander and “played a lot of minutes last year as a freshman. He really holds down the 4-5 side and the wing.”
Freshman Ben Kappes should make an immediate impact. “He has been playing club for the last three-four years,” Krumins said. “He’ll be coming in with a skill set to contribute to the team on the defensive side and the offensive side.”
Henry Stein looks to pass
Krumins said the team will use a drop defense while splitting the top. The advantage the Highlanders have is rather than just one player to center the offense and counter around, they have several and can push the tempo. Krumins said maturity and growth will need to improve over the course of the season. “Slowing the tempo down and making the right decisions,” he said.
The goals are the same. “Competing for league championships, competing for an NCS title,” Krumins said. “We’re a pretty well-balanced team. We have four, five, six, seven players that can contribute at any one time.”
The team will again play without a home pool as construction continues. Krumins said he has been told completion is about 10 weeks out but isn’t counting on any home matches.
“My goal would be to have an alumni game as the first in the new pool,” he said, targeting November or December.
A new global research study commissioned by IBM shows that fans are changing the way they consume sports, turning to new, more dynamic experiences, including the use of AI, personalization and real-time features. The survey queried more than 20,000 global sports fans across 12 countries, asking them about their habits in consuming sports of all kinds. The […]
A new global research study commissioned by IBM shows that fans are changing the way they consume sports, turning to new, more dynamic experiences, including the use of AI, personalization and real-time features.
The survey queried more than 20,000 global sports fans across 12 countries, asking them about their habits in consuming sports of all kinds. The results showed that those fans increasingly view technology — particularly AI — as a positive force and that they are using it more often. Total AI usage among fans has grown since 2024 across nearly all markets, with 85% of respondents noting that they saw value in integrating the emerging technology into their sports experience. In addition, 63 percent expressed some level of trust in AI-generated sports content, noting that real-time game/match updates (35%) and personalized content (30%) were their top priorities for AI-enhanced engagement.
The survey also asked fans how often they attend in-person events, with 73% around the world saying that they attend at least one event per year.
When it comes to the digital experience of consuming sports, over half (51%) of the fans surveyed turn to video highlights, with 37% enjoying post-event recaps and 32 percent staying connected to their sport by consuming player interviews. Dedicated mobile sports apps are also important to sports fans: Nearly 75% use them to stay updated.
Social media also remains the leading platform for accessing additional content, with influencers play a prominent role: 59% of fans surveyed engage with influencers for analysis and predictions.
Habits May Shift Again
The survey also shows that fans’ consumption of sports is not only changing now, but will likely continue to change in the future. Only 27% of surveyed fans expect those habits to stay the same over the next two years, with 80% saying technology – specifically AI— will have the greatest influence on how they follow sports by 2027.
More than half (56%) of surveyed fans want AI-powered insights and commentary for past, current and future sporting events. And advances in tech may open up new avenues for future fans in countries where they don’t speak the language. One-third of responders said real-time translation technology will have the most significant impact on their international sports experience in the next 2-3 years — particularly in markets where English is not the dominant language.
“The sports media landscape is more complex than ever, and fans are comfortable consuming digital content around the clock,” said Kameryn Stanhouse, IBM’s vice president, sports and entertainment partnerships. “With fans signaling their readiness to embrace AI, we will continue working with our tournament, league and media partners to meet fans where they are, whether they’re watching the action in person or enhancing their second-screen experience.” To access the full report, click here.
How Amarillo College reunited a group of Hereford volleyball alums
The Hereford athletic program has produced a handful of talented college volleyball players in recent years. Former Herd star and current West Texas A&M standout Taytum Stow has received numerous conference and national awards while competing for the Lady Buffs. Before Stow, Meagan Ellis starred for HHS, continuing her career at Southern Nazarene University in […]
The Hereford athletic program has produced a handful of talented college volleyball players in recent years.
Former Herd star and current West Texas A&M standout Taytum Stow has received numerous conference and national awards while competing for the Lady Buffs.
Before Stow, Meagan Ellis starred for HHS, continuing her career at Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma, where she also earned all-conference recognition.
Now, the next pair of Hereford products are looking to leave their mark at the collegiate level as they begin their freshman seasons at Amarillo College. London Baker and Jynae Fletcher, two first-year players for the Badgers, enter the program after strong careers in Deaf Smith County.
While the NJCAA may be a step up in competition for the Hereford products, their relationship with a member of AC’s coaching staff has helped ease the local talents into their next chapter.
More: Former Vega standout preparing for freshman season with Amarillo College volleyball
More: Led by local stars, Amarillo College volleyball returns for program’s fourth season
More: Texas Panhandle Super Team: Amarillo area’s top high school volleyball players from 2024
Hereford reunion at AC
Baker and Fletcher’s familiarity with the coaching staff at Amarillo College is part of what brought the duo to head coach Scott Sandel.
The aforementioned Ellis, a Hereford graduate, is an assistant coach for the Badgers’ volleyball team, and has known Baker for years. As a middle school student, Baker served as Hereford’s ball girl while Ellis was starring on the team, initially building a relationship between the two.
“I have known London since I was a freshman in high school, so 2013,” Ellis said. “She was one of my ball girls because I played with her older sister, who’s a year older than me. So London has been in the gym, running around, constantly touching a ball. Her job was supposed to be shagging balls, but we could always just never get her off of the wall setting and passing and always just trying to pepper with one of the other volleyball girls.”
“I think that I have been able to see her come out of her shell a little bit more as she’s gotten older, and I think that she’ll only excel. I think she’s a great gal. She’s so much fun to be around, and so I think once we start getting her more comfortable, then she’ll do great things.”
Like Baker and Ellis, Ellis has known Sandel since she was around 11-years-old. Ellis’ mother was an assistant for the Amarillo College head coach when he was coaching club volleyball, and Sandel began giving Ellis lessons.
Ellis’ relationship with Sandel brought her to Amarillo College after finishing her career at SNU, and Baker’s connection with Ellis helped land the Texas Panhandle Super Team honoree on the Badgers’ roster.
The relationship between Ellis and Baker has also helped the 5-foot-9 setter work on one of her primary goals since arriving on campus.
Mastering a new skill
Like any freshman starting their first season of college athletics, Baker knows there are a few areas she needs to improve on the court.
With Amarillo College, though, Baker is more focused on growing as a vocal leader and communicator.
“My goals are to just grow as a person, not only as a player, but as a person,” Baker said. “ I feel like I’ve spoken more, been more of a leader. I love talking and getting to know all the girls individually. I used to be very soft spoken.”
Ellis has also noticed Baker’s efforts to be vocal on and off the court, saying that being around the team more often has been good for the HHS product.
Sandel also had high praise for Baker, highlighting her ability to connect with her teammates and her efforts to be a good teammate.
“I love London,” Sandel said. “She’s awesome. One of London’s biggest strengths is, everybody just loves her. She’s just a great person, so, for her, that’s always going be her thing. Her teammates are going to give her everything they have, because they just love her.”
“So for her, coming out (of her shell) a little more, being a little more directive, that’s a process that she needs to learn. That’s a process we need, because they’re going to play hard for her. So the more she learns and demands out of them, they’ll come with her, that’s a plus.”
After earning TGCA All-State and District 4-4A Co-Offensive MVP recognition as a senior, Baker appears poised for a strong collegiate career with the Badgers.
A longtime coach is making his return to competition this fall at Fenwick High School. Kyle Perry, who coached boys water polo from 2012 to 2023, has taken over the Friars’ boys golf team, replacing another longtime coach, Jerry Kribs. “I am excited to be [varsity] head coach,” said Perry, who served as the head […]
A longtime coach is making his return to competition this fall at Fenwick High School. Kyle Perry, who coached boys water polo from 2012 to 2023, has taken over the Friars’ boys golf team, replacing another longtime coach, Jerry Kribs.
“I am excited to be [varsity] head coach,” said Perry, who served as the head coach of the junior varsity team and was Kribs’ varsity assistant the last three seasons. “Having worked with Coach Kribs over the past few seasons, he has left me with a great group of gentlemen. These guys love to play golf and love to grind out results.”
Fenwick returns seven golfers from last season: seniors Ryan Brennan, Johnny Cox, Aidan Haefner, Conor Hanley, Michael McMahon, and Luke Sherlock; and junior Alex Kulisek. Newcomers are freshman Marco Cefalu; juniors Clayton Dine, Danny O’Donoghue, James Papp, and Jay Raber; and senior Lee Sheahan.
