NBA Hall of Fame member, Ray Allen, concluded his week-long visit to Israel today with a special basketball training session with Arab and Jewish girls in Jerusalem.
Hosted by David and Jason Arison and the Ted Arison Foundation, the renowned basketball player made the visit arranged by America’s Voices in Israel and Athletes for Israel, during which he had the opportunity to tour and experience historic and cultural sites across Tel Aviv, in and around Jerusalem, and across the Galilee.
He met and trained with aspiring young basketball players across the country and ended his visit with a special meeting at the YMCA in Jerusalem, where he led young Jewish and Arab girls, Israelis and Palestinians, in a special training session, part of the Peace Players Middle East program.
Rabbi Irwin Katsof, Director of America’s Voices in Israel, noted the success of the visit, and explained that the group, which included former Chicago Bulls player Scott Burrell, was the first visit the organization was able to host after the COVID pandemic. “There are so many important voices that want to come and learn more about Israel, and when they do, they see first-hand the complex realities on the ground, and gain an appreciation for the wonderful achievements and initiatives going on in Israel every day, often away from the headlines,” he said.
He added, “We are looking forward to continuing our work to bring opinion leaders from across the American social and political spectrum to engage with Israel, with its people, and its culture. Sport is a vital part of that, and Ray’s visit has been special not only for him, but the many people with whom he met and spoke.”
The event on Sunday saw Allen train around 50 young Israeli and Palestinian girls participating in the Peace Players Middle East basketball program hosted at the YMCA in Jerusalem.
Karen Doubilet, Executive Director of Peace Players Global spoke about the importance of women empowerment especially, and explained Peace Players was, “An international organization that use basketball to promote understanding in communities where there is division and tension.”
She added, “At Peace Players Middle East, we understand that it is often unusual for Arabs and Jewish girls to meet in Jerusalem today. This is the only mixed basketball project bringing together Jews and Arabs to play together, helping developing leaders and bridging divides.”
Ray Allen told the girls, “You remind me of myself at your age, holding the basketball in my hands, and wanting to succeed, to get involved. As a child I lived all over the world as my Dad was in the air force, and I always wanted to fit in. Every place I travelled to I played basketball. I didn’t know anyone but wherever I played, I would make friends.”
He held a basketball up and asked, “Do you all believe this thing is magical? This thing will take you all around the world.”
He concluded, “I can’t imagine what you go through every day, but the thing I learned is that friendships I built because of basketball stayed friends for life. Take basketball, use basketball, to allow you to change the world.”
David Arison, on behalf of the Ted Arison Family Foundation added, “This is a unique opportunity to meet such accomplished NBA athletes, one of the hardest working players. Some of us will be basketball players, some of us will do other things in life but hard work is the lesson. Whatever we want to achieve we can learn so much from Ray, and the example he has set.”