Shehadeh Salamin, 16, from the West Bank, wrote a winning essay about his time in the “Cricket for Peace” program, an initiative of the Peres Center for Peace that brings together Arab and Israeli children to play cricket together. Shehadeh won a prize from Israel’s Cricket Association (ICA), writing about how being in contact with Jewish youths has given him “a new lease of life.” Although it all appears to have a happy and peaceful ending, it wasn’t so easy in the beginning. …More

Underprivileged children in Israel have a new basketball court to play on, thanks to one New York bar mitzvah boy. Daniel Klosk donated all of the money given to him for his bar mitzvah to build the court in the Yud Alef neighborhood, which is home to mostly immigrants from Ethiopia and the Former Soviet Union. “I thought it’s important to give the kids in the neighborhood not only a new basketball court, but also the opportunity to enjoy the experience of learning and playing competitively on a real …More

Aaron Liberman, a freshman basketball player at Northwestern and Orthodox Jew, is drawing attention to himself. Though he hasn’t appeared in a game this season due to a nasty case of shin splints, he does have yarmulke on his head. Liberman plans to wear his kipa on the court once he gets medical clearance, and the school is making two separate ones for him – purple and white for home games, and purple and black for the road. Once he makes his debut, he will become the second player in Division 1 …More

For 11 years, the Israeli Triathlon was dominated by the Alterman twins, Dan and Ran--until now. Over the weekend a new champ was made, Ron Darmon, after finishing the Israel Championship Race in first place at 1:59:12, in Eilat. The next day, the young Israeli ranked 160 in the world started his mandatory military service with the IDF. His young age and surprising rankings make him a strong candidate for Israel’s Olympic team preparing for Rio 2016. The Israeli female champ is Penny Baseron, and she …More

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is set to launch her own line of yoga apparel. “The Avengers” star, who is a longtime yoga fan, has partnered with apparel company Beyond Yoga to design the range, which is being sold exclusively through Paltrow's lifestyle Web site Goop.com. In a statement, Paltrow wrote, “I always wanted a one-shouldered exercise top and could never find one, so we've collaborated with Beyond Yoga (who make really chic, comfortable, perfect exercise gear) to make my dream top!" The …More

Nearly 20,000 runners took part in the Nike Night Run, an after hours marathon across Tel Aviv. Tuesday night, Rabin Square played host to 19,851 participants, who stretched and chatted before taking to the pavement. The annual event encourages runners to chart personal goals online, like keeping at the front of the crowd or finishing a certain number of miles. Participants donned matching black T-shirts, making for a sea of uniformity along Tel Aviv streets like Ibn Gabirol, Rokach Boulevard, and Hayarkon Park. …More

Barcelona’s national soccer team is in the middle of a political firestorm, after offering a free ticket for its opening season match to Gilad Shalit. Shalit, an avid sports fan, reportedly requested a seat to the October 7 game against Madrid. In response, the club invited Shalit to visit as a guest of the team, inciting an immediate protest from Hamas and pro-Palestinians. BDS—the international boycott, divestment and sanctions group—issued an online petition calling on Barcelona to rescind …More

The High Holy Days offer a chance to view world events through the Torah. [Washington Post] Repenting for slavery--on the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation's 150th anniversary--this Yom Kippur. [Huffington Post] Jews and Israelis lead the World Baseball Classic. [AP] A Cornell student receives an anti-Semitic e-mail from an individual posing as a professor. [Cornell Daily Sun] The Jewish community in East Brunswick, NJ, mourns a couple killed by a car on Shabbat. [New Jersey Jewish News] A rabbi in …More

Israeli Paralympians had a banner day yesterday, bringing home two silver medals and one bronze. The wins took place as the Jewish state’s squad donned black ribbons to honor the 40th anniversary of the Munich massacre. Tennis pair Shraga Weinberg and Noam Gershony won bronze yesterday afternoon, defeating the Japanese team of Shota Kawano and Mitsuteru Moroishi. The Israeli duo will face off against each other today, competing in the tennis singles semifinals. As such, Weinberg and Gershony have ensured …More

Art Heyman, the man recognized as jumpstarting the Duke basketball legacy and a number one draft pick for the New York Knicks in 1963, died last Monday at 71. Born and raised in Long Island, Heyman came up in the basketball ranks alongside lifetime rival Larry Brown. The two grew up in the same neighborhood and signed with the same school—the University of North Carolina—on the same day at the same local restaurant. After Heyman’s father got into an argument with an NC coach, however, the …More

Today marks exactly 40 years since Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. It is an anniversary being marked around the world by news outlets, politicians, Jewish organizations, and individuals who have promised to never forget. In Munich this morning, diplomats including Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom and relatives of the slain attended a ceremony to mark the occasion. Wreaths were laid at the Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield, where the final showdown took …More

September 5th marks exactly four decades since a group of Jewish fencers, weightlifters and coaches was killed in a senseless pursuit of terrorism. The story of the Munich massacre has seeped into the public consciousness—books, films and documentaries have covered the subject at length. Global efforts and advocates like Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romano have ensured that the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinians at the ’72 Olympics have not been forgotten. Still, there remains much that is …More