Speaking at the Arutz Sheva Summit in New York City in partnership with Chazaq, Rabbi Mashiach Kelaty shared a story that he said illustrates the values and spirit of Israel.
Rather than discussing politics or military affairs, Rabbi Kelaty chose to focus on what he described as “a story on the sports field."
He recounted an incident from 2019 involving the Israeli women's lacrosse team and the Kenyan national team during a tournament in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Israel won the match 13-4, but the Israeli players were troubled by the circumstances surrounding the victory.
According to Rabbi Kelaty, heavy rain had left the field slippery, and while the Israeli players had proper cleated footwear, the Kenyan team was forced to play in ordinary sneakers because an earlier shipment of shoes had arrived in incorrect sizes.
“The Israelis did not feel comfortable about this because this was a win for Israel, which was not fair," he said. “It wasn't an even playing field."
Rabbi Kelaty highlighted the actions of Israeli player Ella Duvdevani, who approached her father and suggested that something be done to help the Kenyan team.
“She said to him, ‘Abba, we need to do something. We can't go through this thing, this victory, it's not fair on us. What can we do?’" he related.
The Duvdevani family, together with other members of the Israeli delegation, coordinated with Kenyan coaches and located a sporting goods store in Ontario that remained open overnight. They purchased properly sized cleated shoes for the Kenyan players, with Israeli parents covering the cost.
“They got the correct shoes in the correct sizes," Rabbi Kelaty said. “The Israeli parents of the Israeli team paid for these shoes."
The shoes were packed and labeled overnight before being presented to the Kenyan players the following day in a surprise gesture that was captured on video and widely shared online.
Rabbi Kelaty noted that Kenya went on to defeat Belgium 16-9 with their new footwear and later attended one of Israel's matches during the tournament.
He said the most memorable aspect of the story was a remark made by Israel's goalkeeper afterward.
“In 20 years' time, nobody's going to remember that we beat Kenya 13 to 4," Rabbi Kelaty quoted her as saying. “What they will remember is the smile on the faces of that Kenyan team as they got their new shoes and they acquired their new friends."
He also cited her concluding message: “You can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."
“To me, that story is so inspirational," Rabbi Kelaty said. “It shows the spirit of Israel, the spirit of the Jewish people."
He added that such stories often receive less attention than negative portrayals of Israel.
“They focus on the negative, they focus on the lies, they focus on the horror," he said. “But it's my job up here today to focus on the positive."
Concluding his remarks, Rabbi Kelaty expressed hope for good news for the Jewish people.
“Bezrat Hashem, all of us will similarly focus on the positive, and we will see only simcha and nachat for the Jewish people. Amen."