Shooting Hoops for a Good Cause
(from left) Phil Ginsburg, SF Recreation and Parks General Manager; Jennifer Gorovitz, JCF CEO and SF Mayor Ed Lee
On Thursday, October 10 at the Betty Ong Chinese Recreation Center, approximately 70 kids, 5 basketball players and a coach split up in groups to practice a different basketball techniques. This was all part of Haifa Hoops for Kids, an event that raised money for a nonprofit in Northern Israel serving disadvantaged and special needs children. The special basketball clinic was attended by local urban youth basketball enthusiasts and kids from the Jewish Community High School and Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
(from left) Consul General Dr. Andy David and son Ron, Maccabi Haifa assistant coach Rami Hadar, Maccabi players Anton Shoutvin (5), Bryan Cohen (8), SF Mayor Ed Lee, Lior Segev (10), JCF CEO Jennifer Gorovitz, Alex Chubrevitch (9), Maccabi Haifa owner Jeffrey Rosen, and team staff.
This was no ordinary gathering. Jennifer Gorovitz, the Federation CEO, acted as the emcee with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Consul General of Israel, Dr. Andy David, Chair of San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee, Arthur Wachtel and General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department , Phil Ginsburg. Maccabi Haifa vs. The Golden State Warriors 
The following day, Thursday, October 11th, Maccabi Haifa played a preseason game with the Golden State Warriors at the Oakland Arena. Maccabi Haifa Basketball team, one of the oldest basketball teams in Israel, and a recent re-joiner of Israel’s top league ligat ha’al, made a rare visit to the Bay Area. Over 8,000 came to enjoy the international scrimmage and after a solid game with the leading score bouncing back and forth between the Golden State and Haifa, the game ended 108 to 100 in favor of the warriors. Watch our video featured on the jumbotron mid-game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGkTccm_ogo&feature=youtu.be Thursday's game shed light on the similarities between San Francisco and our Israeli Sister City. With a metropolitan population of over 600,000, Haifa is northern Israel's premiere seaport. Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, Haifa enjoys a similar Mediterranean climate as San Francisco. "San Francisco has a lot in common with Haifa, more than you would think," said Federation CEO, Jennifer Gorovitz. "Exposing our kids to Maccabi Haifa is a great way to get their minds thinking about Israel."
 |
 |
 |
 |
In the end, all agreed that when the Bay Area plays Haifa, either team's win would be celebrated.
Maccabi Haifa's visit is sponsored by the SF-Based Jewish Community Federation, the Israel Center, and is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel, The Jewish Community Relations Council, the San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee, The Jewish Community federation of the East bay and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
