When you think of athletic teams for city schools, surfing is not among the first sports that comes to mind. But for one Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School student-athlete, that is right where he feels most at home. So, when the Northeast Regional Surfing Championships were announced and slated for the nearby New Jersey shore, he reached out for the opportunity, took to the waves on Sunday, 10/15, just off the beach at the North End Pavilion of Spring Lake, NJ – and did not disappoint.
Sophomore Joe Tawil has been surfing for much of his life, spending many hours riding the waves on the shores close to Deal, NJ as well as at nearby Rockaway Beach, not far from his home in Brooklyn. When he learned that there are competitions for high school students, he was eager to test himself against some of the area’s best.
The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) is the highest profile amateur competitive surfing association in the United States. The NSSA promotes the qualities of discipline and competitive excellence while supporting the merits of academic achievement to young surfers. The Northeast Region pooled student-athletes from a variety of schools in the New York/New Jersey area, ranging from public to prep to parochial schools (Flatbush would be considered part of the latter group).
Tawil opened the day surfing in men’s heat number 23 (out of 28). Each heat consisted of 6 surfers from different schools, with each one providing its group of surfers 15 minutes to catch as many waves as possible in an effort to show their skills to the judges. After waiting what seemed like an eternity, Tawil, in his orange competition jersey over his wetsuit, paddled out with his competitors from schools such as Shore Regional, Rumson-Fair Haven, Holy Spirit, Morristown-Beard and Wall Township to catch his first wave. By the end of the heat, Tawil had impressed the judges, advancing to the next round!
Tawil continued to shine, moving out of the second round and qualifying for the third. At that point, he ended his day, having left his mark on the competition. “It was an amazing experience,” reflected Tawil after the competition was over. It could have been an intimidating atmosphere, what with the majority of the other schools being represented by a large number of surfers, with lots of supporters and team tents on hand. But Tawil was able to block out the distractions and just compete. “For me, surfing has always been about finding a zone of peace and serenity, finding solace on the water. This was different in that there was pressure to perform for others’ view. But, I liked it; I am happy with how I surfed and am looking forward to my next chance to compete.”
It was also great to hear the name of the school – “Yeshivah of Flatbush” – ring out across the beachhead as Tawil advanced in the competition. How about that?!
Earlier this semester, Tamir Goodman better known as the "Jewish Jordan" came to speak with our student athletes. He was a truly inspirational speaker and someone for all Jewish athletes to look up to. He told us the story of his basketball career, and brought up many stories how his close observation of Judaism helped him for the better. He stressed the importance of the love of the game as well as hard work, and mentioned that the support of his family helped him strive. ~Samantha Chabot, Class of 2017
All the preliminary games have been completed, all the shabbaton activities are in the past, and it all came down to two final games – one to decide the 3rd place finisher and one to determine the 2016 Hausdorff winner on Championship Sunday (12/4) at the Falcons Nest in Brooklyn, NY.
Pre-game festivities included the final group shacharit tefilot, a nice bagel breakfast and the completion of the Hausdorff Tournament Skills Competition. Individual and team contests in 3-point shooting, foul shooting, hot-spot and 2-ball.
The teams from Detroit and Memphis then stepped out to center court to tip off the day’s first game. With Cooper looking to avenge the loss just the night before, the Macs took the very early lead, 2-0, on a basket from #5. Amazingly, it became an incredibly defensive battle the rest of the way, as the teams pressured the ball over every inch of the court, and when Farber’s effort to take the last shot of the quarter led to an errant heave as the clock neared 0:00, the score stood 2-0 Cooper after one quarter of play. Cooper was next to get back on the board, and finally the Pioneers found the bottom of the net to make it a 4-2 ballgame 2 minutes in to the 2nd period. The defense stayed tight and the teams played even the rest of the way, and Cooper held a slim 11-9 lead at the half.
The second half saw Farber finally find their rhythm, getting the ball to drop at a better rate than they had been, and held a 20-13 lead with the clock winding down on the period, until the Macs found Ezra Cooper in the corner who stepped up and drilled the corner 3 to make the score 20-16 with one quarter left to play. When Yisrael Wiener converted an offensive rebound and the ensuing foul shot, the teams were even. And when Yoel Weinsterin hit a three on Cooper’s next possession, the Macs were back in the lead once again, 23-20, their first 4th Quarter lead of the Tournament! With under 3 minutes to play, Cooper had extended its slim lead to 27-21. But Cooper could net get comfortable, as the Pioneers put together 5 quick points to make it a one point qame with 2 minutes to play. That set the scene for a wild finish. With Cooper holding the lead and the ball, Farber was forced to foul. The Macs converted 3 of 4 and went up 30-26, with under a minute left. Farber then got the ball in the hands of Yoni Wrotslovsky, who elevated and swished a 10-foot jumper to cut the lead to 2. Farber then got the big turnover they needed. The Pioneers had the ball with a chance to tie, or even take the lead! But they fumbled the ball away as they crossed midcourt, handing it back to the Macs. The macs converted 1-2 from the line, and Farber again had the ball with a chance to tie. But they came up empty. Cooper again went to the line and hit 1-2 to seal the game, and secure the 3rd Place trophy with a 32-28 victory!
After an abbreviated warm-up, the contenders for the Hausdorff Championship took the court – the Katz Storm against the host Flatbush Falcons – a rematch of the night before's contest that went down to the wire. Flatbush opened the scoring, but Katz had the immediate answer for the 3-2 lead, answered right back by Flatbush’s Eddie Lincer for a 4-3 Falcon lead. It looked like it would be a see-saw affair when Andrew Pearl hit a floater in the lane to give the Storm a 7-4 lead early in the game. Katz extended it to 11-4 before Flatbush gathered their legs underneath them and began to really hit the boards. rebounded gave Flatbush some momentum, and the Falcons closed to within on at the end of the quarter, with the Storm holding a 13-12 lead. The 2nd Quarter looked like a mirror of the 1st, as the teams played close for the first few minutes until Katz got some separation to take a 25-17 lead. But Flatbush cut it back down to a 1-point game on five straight points from Eddie Lincer. And, that was where it stayed as the buzzer sounded to end the half, with the score 25-24 in favor of the Katz Storm.
One minute and half in, Flatbush’s Noah Sedaka gave the Falcons their first lead since early in the game on a pair of free-throws, 26-25. But the lead did not last long, as Pearl again drained a three to give Katz back the lead, 31-28. The Storm then got a big stop and a big lift from Brandon Munter, who hit his own 3-ball. Katz had a 6-point lead, and Flatbush called timeout. With that, the gloves came off, as the shooters stepped up. Isaac Rosen drilled a three to give Flatbush back the lead at 38-37. Pearl stroked a three to answer and give the Storm back the lead, only to see Flatbush work the ball until it found its way to Joe Kattan who swished a three with the clock winding down to give Flatbush the one point edge heading into the final quarter of play, 41-40! With every possession golden, Yitzi Eisenberger of the Storm knotted the game once again with a banked 3-pointer that made it a 43-43 game with 4:33 left on the clock. Living beyond the arc, Andrew Pearl gave Katz the lead back 30 seconds later, 46-43. A Sedaka follow on a rebound brought Flatbush back to within one with 2:30 to play. With the clock winding down, the fans were all on the edge as the endgame played out.
Each team came up empty on their next possessions, and it was Flatbush that found the bottom of the net next, with Eddie Lincer hitting another big three to give Flatbush a 48-47 lead. Katz missed on its next look at the basket, and the Falcons could the Storm in transition, with Abe Chetrit hitting the contested lay in to give Flatbush a 3-point cushion with less than 30 seconds to play. Choosing to let the play flow, Katz did not immediately call time out, hoping for a good look as play moved towards the Storm basket. But the Katz boys became too patient, and when it was clear no open shot was soon coming, the Storm called timeout – leaving them only 2.2 seconds left to try to get the equalizer. Flatbush, hoping to deny a chance at a 3-pointer to tie, fouled the inbound immediately, but Munter wisely sent the ball rimward as soon as he was fouled. The referee called the foul on the shot, awarding Munter 3 free-throws, and a chance to send the game to overtime. But, Munter came up short on the first shot. He hit the second to close the gap to 2. Needing to get one more possession, Munter intentionally missed his final free-throw, but the rebound was tipped around and then settled into a Falcons grip as the buzzer sounded, securing the Flatbush victory, 50-48, and bringing to a close one of the most exciting final days of play in the history of the Hausdorff Tournament.
As exciting as the final day of games was, it paled in comparison to the joy and energy that was shared by all the participants over the course of the entire 4-day event. As the boys and the committee members settled in to the Flatbush Student lounge for the closing ceremonies and presentation of awards. Rabbi Besser opened with one more Dvar torah, focusing on the breaking down of walls, of allowing others to affect us, breaking down barriers and thereby enriching our lives. he noted how open and eager the three guest schools were to embrace new experiences and as well enriched the lives of the Flatbush hosts. He then noted the driving force behind the Hausdorff Tournament and Shabbaton, Coach Mike Gelber, without whose effort, love and commitment the event would not happen. he then presented the winners of the skills competition, handed out the team trophy awards and presented the All-Tournament team. The final word belonged to the four coaches of the different teams, all who were gracious guests (and hosts) and shared the theme of teamwork and community.
As a final item, the participants were treated to a slide show presentation of photos from the entire tournament’s games, put together by Flatbush graduate Joey Baum, with photos taken by Flatbush Senior Sarah Cohen.
In the end, the connections are what it is all about, and no greater testament could there be to the spirit of Thomas Hausdorff. Chazak U’Baruch to all, and we will see you in 2017 for Hausdorff 22!
Words can only begin to describe the amazing atmosphere that is the Shabbat experience of the Hausdorff Weekend in Brooklyn, NY. When they say “you had to be there,” it is truly applicable in this instance. With Rabbi Besser at the helm, the Hausdorff Tournament not only brought boys from four distinct and different regions of the country together in welcoming the Shabbat, the boys and their coaches shared Divrei Torah and Mishnayot that were both insightful and inspirational in ways that certainly served to “elevate the spirit” of the event’s namesake, Thomas “Tim” Hausdorff.
The crowning event of the Shabbaton part of the weekend was clearly the oneg shabbat on Friday night. Hosted graciously by Flatbush family Amy and Steve Sasson in their beautiful home a few blocks from Flatbush HS, the student-athletes joined in celebration of the Shabbat with words of learning from Flatbush ballplayer Ricky Sasson and from Katz Yeshiva administrator Shimmy Kaminetsky. They heard words of appreciation from Katz Yeshiva Head Coach Uri Yudewitz and Cooper Yeshiva Head Coach Jason Redd. But it was Flatbush Coach “Rabbi” Gus who really boosted the crowd as he started the singing with a number of heart-felt zemirot. To see, hear and feel the respect and energy the Hausdorff participants and Committee members gave to their singing and celebrating was both emotionally uplifting and communally rewarding – in the real sense of coming together as Klal Yisrael!
After havdalah at the local host houses, it was time to get the action going in the Falcons Nest once again in the final round of preliminary contests. The early game saw Memphis’s Cooper Macs face off against Detroit area’s Farber Pioneers. Both teams came in to the game looking for their first win of the tournament.
Farber wasted no time getting things in gear taking the opening tip straight to the hoop for a strong inside lay in. Play was spirited, with both teams actively pursuing the ball over every inch of the court. But the hoop proved elusive to the Macs, as they needed nearly half the period to register their first points in the game. After one period of play, the score stood 13-3 in favor of the boys from Michigan. Cooper gained a semblance of equality in play in the 2nd Quarter, as the two teams each scored 6 points in the period, but it did not allow the Macs to close the gap, and the score stood 19-9 at the half.
Quarter 3 saw Farber find a little bit of its offensive groove, as they were able to put tether a big run late in the quarter to get separation from the Macs for a 39-16 advantage. The final period was more of the same, and Farber closed out the win, 48-29.
The Saturday nightcap would see two teams yet to lose at the Tournament, and by the end of the night, only one would remain perfect on the weekend. Flatbush hit their opening salvo, a long shot from Joe Kattan for the early 3-0 lead. The Katz press yielded its first dividend for the Storm when a turnover led to an easy lay in to make it a 5-2 ball game, but the falcons answered right back with a lay in by Isaac Sutton.
Katz finally got even on the scoreboard when Noah Mamman hit a 3 to knot the score at 9 apiece, but Flatbush’s A.J. Cohen swished a corner “j” to take back the lead. It was now a see-saw battle, and the score score stood even, 13-13, after one. The Storm found a new gear in the 2nd Quarter, ripping off 10 straight points to take a 23-13 lead less than a minute and a half in and prompt a Flatbush timeout. Katz eventually extended their lead to a largest of 15 points in the period, and held off a late run from Flatbush to take a 32-21 lead into the intermission.
Halftime brought one of the most anticipated activities of the Hausdorff Tournament – the “Split the Pot” drawing and the “4-Shot Parlay Shootout, for the raffle prizes (including a 50” flat screen TV, and Apple Watch, XBox-1, bluetooth speakers, Spalding Basketballs, NFL “Duke” Football and assorted pro sports memorabilia – including a NY Jets helmet signed by all the members of the 1969 Super Bowl III championship team, the crown jewel of the collection). Though no shooter hit all 4 shots (a lay up, a free throw, a three-pointer and a half-court shot: all must be in a row and in under 30 seconds to win the full memorabilia collection), Flatbush Sophomore Abe Chetrit was the big winner, taking home the top prizes.
After the what equates to Showtime at the Hausdorff Tournament, the Falcons and Storm returned to the court to finish what they started. Flatbush again scored first, but this time Katz answered immediately to extend their lead to 37-24. Flatbush got the deficit under double digits with one minute to play in the period, but the Storm got the last salvo to push the lead back to 10, leading 40-30 after three quarters of play. The final quarter was all about the defense. By the 3:33 mark, Flatbush was extra stingy on defense, not allowing a single Storm point, but the Falcons could only muster three of their own to make it a 40-33 ballgame. Katz got off with a free throw, but an ensuing hoop by Flatbush made it a 5-point game with 2:17 to play. A David Dweck falling lay in of a huge rebound cut the lead to only 2 points with under a minute to play. Then, Flatbush forced a turnover on an errant long pass by the Storm, and Dweck soon found himself on the line with a chance to tie the game. He could only muster 1-2 to cut the lead to only 1, 41-40, with 40 seconds to play. Katz drew a foul and they, too, converted 1-2, to return to the 2-point cushion. With the ball and trailing, Flatbush called timeout to set the scene for the final 27 seconds of play, and what would be the most exciting finish of the tournament to this point. But after running the offense for a bit, the back court turned the ball over, and fouled Katz’s Abie Betesh as he was heading in for the lay up. But he missed both, and Flatbush gathered the rebound with 10 seconds to play. With the clock winding down, the ball found its way to the hands of Joe Kattan, and he lofted his signature corner three – and found nothing but the bottom of the net! For the first time since the first quarter, Flatbush had the lead, 43-42. The Storm would have one last chance, but with 1.8 seconds on the clock, they overthrew the inbounds pass, giving the ball back to Flatbush. Kattan was immediately fouled, and he hit 1-2, again giving Katz one more last chance with .8 seconds still to play. Flatbush defensed the entry pass, and by the time the Storm got off a shot, the buzzer had sounded, sealing the Flatbush comeback, and setting a very competitive tone for the upcoming rematch to be played by these two squads today, when they will face off for all the Hausdorff marbles in the Tournament Championship game (tip off is scheduled for 12:30 pm).
It was a quick turnaround for the boys of the four competing schools on Friday morning (12/2), with the boys from Katz, Cooper and Farber basically just having settled in for the night when they were awoken by their alarms to a new Brooklyn morning, the call for Shacharit tefilot and the first of the two morning games of the 2nd Day of play in the 21st Hausdorff Tournament.
The early game pitted the host Flatbush Falcons against the Macs of Memphis’ Cooper Yeshiva HS. Flatbush jumped out to the early 3-0 lead when Leon Ades corralled the rebound of the opening salvo, kicked it back out to Eddie Lincer who swished the 3 ball. The falcons were off and running from that point, on their way to a 37-12 halftime lead. Cooper did not fold up their tents, though. The Macs put points on the board in three of their first four possessions of the 2nd half, battled hard throughout and kept coming at Flatbush with everything they had. They showed marked improvement from their performance the night before, but Flatbush worked the ball methodically on offense, and scored more often than not. In the end, Flatbush was just to strong, and closed out the Game “C” win, 67-31.
After the game, the members of all four teams gathered in the Beit Midrash for a special shiur with Rabbi Joseph Beyda, Principal of Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School. After welcoming the participants, Rabbi Beyda shared a lesson taken from the week’s Parasha – Toldot. The lesson focused on the two brothers, Yaakov and Eisav, noting that the Parasha refers to Yaakov as “yoshev ohalim,” and asks why does the Torah state that Yaakov sits in tents – plural – and not in a tent – singular, as would seem the more correct usage of language. First, Rabbi Beyda pointed out that the “tent” is akin more to a Beit Midrash – a place of study – rather than just a dwelling. He went on to point out that the use of the plural “ohalim” is done purposely to show that Yaakov did not sit in just one tent, but rather he sat in more than one – he studied in more than one location, with more than one teacher; he studied with and learned from various sources. Rabbi Beyda related this story to the Hausdorff event, noting “we usually sit in our own places, but here we have an opportunity to get together and share our learning.” Place the focus on sharing the specialness of our differences, valuing them, and letting them bring us together to connect and grow. He challenged the players to get to know one another and “to sit in more than one tent” over the course of the weekend.
After a break for lunch, which for many meant an excursion to the kosher restaurants that abound on Avenue J and Coney Island, the teams from South Florida and Michigan faced off in the Falcons Nest.
It was a defensive battle from the start, with Katz registering the first points on a three pointer nearly 4 minutes in to the game. Both teams battled hard, and it showed in the score. Farber yielded only 7 points in the quarter, but it was if their was a lid on the rim for the Pioneers, as they could not score at all in the opening period. They remedied that in the opening possession of the 2nd Quarter to cut the lead to 7-3. The Storm responded in kind, as the offenses began to find some rhythm with the score 13-5 Katz just three and a half minutes in. But it would be Farber that finally found its groove in the 2nd Quarter, closing to 13-10 with 1:30 to play before Katz finally answered to put the lead back to 5.
That is where it stood at the midpoint, with the Storm holding an 18-13 advantage. The 3rd Quarter belongs to the Storm, as they clearly found what was missing offensively during the break, and streaked out to a commanding 43-18 lead by the end of the period. The final period was more of the same, and the game closed with Katz defeating Farber, 51-26.
With the Friday games in the books, it was time to pause from basketball and get ready for the Shabbaton aspect of Hausdorff. Kabbalat Shabbat was called for 4:30 pm with a scrumptious Seudat Shabbat to follow. The Hausdorff festivities went into high gear later at night when the Hausdorff participants are joined by members of the Flatbush community in what has become one of the most looked-forward to aspects of the Shabbaton – the Oneg Shabbat (which was graciously hosted at the home of Amy and Steve Sasson).
NEST NOTES: Motzei Shabbat will see the two teams looking for their first win of the tournament face off when Farber and Cooper do battle in the first game of the night at 7:00 pm. The nightcap will see the two undefeated teams tip off when Katz takes on host Flatbush at approximately 8:45 pm.
Over 20 years ago, Coach Mike Gelber and Rabbi Naftali Besser – along with the rest of the Flatbush community – were shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of their dear friend and colleague, Principal Thomas Hausdorff, z’l. He was a teacher, an athlete, a mentor and a friend. In their grief, they sought an avenue to keep the memory of Mr. Hausdorff alive in a way that would be both meaningful and educational – and athletic; all things that were part and parcel to the character of the man. So was born the Hausdorff Tournament.
With this annual get-together, not only have Coach Gelber and Rabbi Besser kept alive the spirit and legacy of Thomas Hausdorff, they have created an event that has positively impacted hundreds of young yeshivah boys and girls in ways even they could have never dreamed possible.
Thursday night (12/1), that legacy continued as the Yeshivah of Flatbush welcomed JV Boys Basketball teams from Memphis, Tennessee, Southfield, Michigan (suburban Detroit) and Boca Raton, Florida to join the school’s own JV Falcons as they gather to compete, to learn and to celebrate in the 21st Annual Hausdorff Invitational JV Basketball Tournament and Shabbaton.
As has been tradition, almost immediately after arriving to the Brooklyn school, the visiting teams joined together to with their hosts, first to pray the Arvit (Ma’ariv) tefilot and then to engage in an act of great chesed – the Yachad program. Yachad, The National Jewish Council for Disabilities, is a thriving global organization dedicated to addressing the needs of all Jewish individuals with disabilities and ensuring their inclusion in every aspect of Jewish life. Our inclusive design aims to ensure persons with diverse abilities their rightful place within the Jewish community, while helping to educate and advocate for a greater understanding, acceptance, outreach, and a pro-disability attitude. The program, led by Rabbi Besser, brought the players together with members of the local Yachad community to share in the spirit of singing, dancing and dining together.
It was then time to get down to the business of basketball! Up first were the teams from Memphis and South Florida. The Cooper Macs, who arrived to New York on Wednesday night and spent the better part of Thursday exploring The City – from Yeshiva University to Times Square, squared off against the Katz Yeshiva Storm. The Macs of Memphis jumped out to the early 3-1 lead, but could not build on it. Halfway through the opening quarter, Katz evened the score, then the Storm stormed right past them to take a 13-4 lead at the end of the period. Cooper found some life in the 2nd Quarter, and cut the deficit to 6 at 17-11, but Katz not only answered, they exploded past the Macs, and took a 32-13 lead at the half. Katz poured it on in the second half, and cruised the rest of the way to a 52-19 win in the opening game of the tournament.
A bit later than planned, the host Flatbush Falcons faced off against the Farber Pioneers in the Day 1 nightcap. Farber struck first, but Flatbush soon came back to take the 8-4 lead midway through the opening quarter on a Joe Kattan floater. It was clear, though, that this would be a defensive battle, as the teams played tough end-to-end with Flatbush maintaining the 4-point cushion to lead 11-7 after one quarter of play. Farber was not content to keep thing that way, though, and scored the first 7 points of quarter number 2, prompting a Falcon timeout to stem the momentum that had swung in favor of the Pioneers. It proved positive for the falcons, as they went on a small run of their own to take a 17-14 lead with 3:40 left in the half. Flatbush then found a new gear, going on a 7-1 run to close out the half, and take both the momentum and a 24-15 lead into the break. The 3rd Quarter, though both teams battled, Flatbush continued to slowly stretch the lead and held a 35-22 advantage heading into the final quarter of play. It was more of the same in the final quarter, as Flatbush did not let farber back in at all, closing out Day 1 of Hausdorff with the 43-28 win.
NEST NOTES: Kudos to the Hausdorff broadcasting team of Natanel BenShabat, Max Shemtob and Ariel Uzan, for making the games exciting nationwide!
Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to be selected to represent the USA in the Pan-American Maccabi games on the 16U men’s basketball team. My experience in Santiago, Chile at the games was second to none. It was amazing how, through sports, the Maccabi organization brought Jews together from all over the world for this one event.
This trip wasn’t only about sports. I met so many new people and learned new things about them and their cultures. One of the highlights of my trip was the opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony, each country was introduced to a huge stadium with tons of cheering fans. In conclusion, everybody sang the Israeli national anthem.
One part of the trip that really stood out to me was when we did our chesed project. Although the area where we stayed was rather wealthy, we visited a poor area where some Jewish families lived. It was humbling to see how these people lived, in makeshift huts, and stray sick dogs running around - it was very sad. I appreciated my time there, being able to talk to some of the kids and make them feel good. It made me take a step back and realize and be thankful for what I have here at home in New York. On the basketball court, our team went undefeated and ultimately won the gold medal. I really enjoyed bonding with my teammates from all over the country on and off the court. This trip was an amazing experience, and something that I will never forget! ~Abie Rosow, Class of 2017
On a seasonably cool evening, the Flatbush girls took to the grass field of Comer Park to demonstrate that they deserve a spot on the school’s first ever outdoor girls soccer team.
Thursday night (10/8) saw over 15 Falcon outdoor soccer hopefuls gather at Comer Field, the baseball home for the yeshivah that now doubles as the school’s outdoor soccer practice site. Under the leadership of Head Coach Edie Koslowe, a former Falcon herself who advanced her own skills as a member of Yeshiva University’s Varsity Womens Soccer team, the girls gathered to show that they have the ability and skill to transfer what they have developed during the Yeshiva League’s spring indoor season to the natural setting of the game that is thought to be the most popular team sport in the world.
It was clear from the start that this is a different game from what the girls are used to, as Coach Koslowe put a premium on conditioning, “The 11-on-11 game requires that the players be able to cover ground over a significantly larger playing area,” noted Coach Koslowe. “We will clearly spend time as we go working on skills and team strategy, but the girls need to know that it is extremely important to be able to run as hard at the end of the game as it is at the start. That is all about conditioning.” At the start, middle and end, Coach Koslowe directed the Falcon hopefuls to push themselves on full laps of Comer Field.
In addition to showing off their fitness levels, players also demonstrated their abilities with the ball, showing they can handle passing, receiving and striking on the less than smooth surface of natural grass. It was both challenging and satisfying for many of the girls. “This is great!” shared Senior Merle Dweck, Dweck has been one of the student-athletes who has been lobbying strongly to expand the school’s soccer offerings to include the outdoor game. “It is really amazing to finally get the opportunity to play outdoors, like almost every other school.”
For others, the tryout was a real eye-opener. “I did not know what to expect,” shafred Freshman hopeful Esther Hidary. “Coach Koslowe seems very demanding, but I am very excited to see what we will be able to do. She siad it did not matter whether players are Seniors or newcomers. The girls who show they deserve to play will get to play. I am really looking forward to our next practice.”
This first evening of outdoor soccer was clearly a new challenge, but if the energy and enthusiasm of the players is any indication, it is just the start of something great for Flatbush’s student-athletes!
With the help of Maccabi Tel Aviv greats both past and present, the Flatbush Boys Basketball team officially kicked off the 2015-16 season on Saturday night (10/3) with the first official practice under new Falcon Basketball head coaches Michael Gurock and Gus Kennedy.
The event was unusual for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very much out of the ordinary to conduct such an event over a holiday break. Secondly, it is even more extraordinary to welcome guest coaches to be a part of any team's first official practice session. Yet, that is exactly what took place in the main gym of YOF's Joel Braverman High School.
In New York as part of their United States exhibition tour with Armani Milan (Italy), Maccabi Tel Aviv sent a pair of its legendary players along with a trio of home-grown Israeli talent that are part of the present team to help Coaches Gurock and Kennedy put the 2015-16 Falcons through their first paces. Derek Sharp, long-time Maccabi standout and member of multiple Euroleague championship teams, and David Blu, former USC star and recently retired member of the team's 2014 Euroleague championship squad led a combination of Flatbush JV and Varsity players through a number drills with the aid of present Maccabi players Dagan Yivzori, Yovel Zoosman and Itay Segev. Yivzori and Segev are also members of Israel's national team, and Zoosman is one of Israel's rising stars as a member of the country's under-21 national team.
But the young Falcon basketballers received an even bigger treat when they were joined by Israeli Basketball legend Tal Brody, considered by many as the father of modern Israeli basketball and the country's first great international athlete. Brody was a top college player at the University of Illinois in the 60's when he made his first trip to Israel as a member of the United States' Maccabiah team. He fell in love with the country and would soon join Maccabi Tel Aviv, bringing his knowledge and skill at the American game to the young country. In leading the team to its first-ever Euroleague championship in 1977, Brody was a key player in putting Israel "on the map" and bringing respectability as an international athletic competitior. As an Ambassador of Goodwill for Israel, the Maccabi legend shared some of his personal experiences, captivating the young Falcons and instilling pride and encouragement in bringing a positive attitude in striving to achieve ones' goals - athletically, academically and in every endeavor. With the words of inspiration given, Brody turned the group over the the expert hands of Coaches Sharp and Blu.
After putting the boys through conditioning and ball-handling drills, the players were divided into two balanced squads, with Derek Sharp given the helm of the Maroon team and David Blu charged with guiding the Gold Falcons. Zoosman sat along side Sharps' players, Segev mentored Blu's charges and Yivzori ran the game clock. Coach Gurock served as game official. Sharp animatedly roamed his team's sideline, amped up and urging the likes of Albert Richter, David Dayan and Isaac Arazi to run the offense and challenge on defense. Blu and Segev took a more methodical approach in guiding Abie Rosow, Jackie Mishaan, Eliot Beyda and their gold teammates as they took a commanding lead. But Sharp would not let that stand. Making sure everyone on his squad got to play, Sharp had his young charges push the play and with a key basket from rookie Jack Rosow, the maroon team slowly closed the gap. But a solid drive to the basket from veteran guard Kevin Haddad provided the edge the gold would need, and the scrimmage ended with Blu's Gold victorious over Sharp's Maroon.
Afterwards, the Falcons continued to bask in the glow of having the Maccabi greats on hand to start things off. "This was outstanding!" exclaimed the regularly hyperbolic Senior Albert Richter. "Sharing the court and warming up with the Maccabi players was a lot of fun." Jackie Mishaan took advantage of his time with Zoosman on the bench. "Just sitting and talking basketball with the Israeli pro was a really cool experience. What a great opportunity this was for all of us."
In the end, it was not about the score, but about the process. And with Maccabi on hand, this was a great start to what the Flatbush faithful anticipate will be a most glorious season. And, they will look back and know Maccabi Tel Aviv was there at the beginning, helping set the bar high!
On a day with weather more suited to the football season than the baseball season, the Boys Basketball program took its first step into a new future when the new coaching staff for the 2015-16 season was introduced to the Flatbush basketball community. Michael Gurock and Augusto Kennedy met with the returning members of the boys basketball teams to share with the student-athletes their vision for the short-term and long-term future of the program, and to answer any questions they had about that vision and how the coaching staff plans to implement it.
Coach Gurock will take over as Head Coach of the Boys Basketball program, a position held for the past two seasons by Avi Borenstein. While the Flatbush Athletic and High School Administration is most appreciative of the work done by Coach Borenstein in advancing the program from what was in place prior to his arrival, it was felt that it was the right time to build on that success with a turn in a different direction. With that in mind, the returning players were introduced to Coach Gurock. Coach Gurock comes to Flatbush with a wealth of experience both in the day-to-day operations of Yeshiva League athletics as well as a history of working with yeshiva students in the summer camp setting.
Gurock, a graduate of the George Washington University (BA, 2005) and Northwestern University (MSA, 2011), developed his love for coaching basketball very early on as he saw his father serve as an assistant on the staff of long-time famed an respected Yeshiva University Head Men’s basketball Coach Johnny Halpert. Gurock continues to draw on his father’s experience and support as a source of strength and encouragement in his own development as a coach and mentor.
Gurock got his start in coaching under the tutelage of two past Flatbush Basketball coaches – both well-respected in their own right, Irv Bader and Mike Gelber, while at Camp Seneca Lake. After graduation from GWU, Gurock joined the athletic staff at Yeshiva University where he served as an assistant to the Athletic Director. While at YU, he helped to coordinate the day-to-day operations of all the school’s varsity athletic teams as well as oversight of the operation of the school’s prestigious Saracheck Tournament.
After working at YU, Gurock moved to Israel, where he volunteered at Bet Elazraki Children’s Home, both coaching and counselling the Home’s at-risk youth. Upon returning to the US, Gurock settled in Chicago, where he worked for the MLS’s Chicago Fire Soccer Club as part of their marketing and events team while completing his Master’s Degree at Northwestern.
Gurock now lives in New York, where he has been working at the Columbia/Barnard Hillel and at Covenant House At-Risk Homeless Shelter while completing work on another Master’s Degree (he will graduate this summer with a Masters in Social Work – MSW – from the Wurzewiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University). At the same time, Gurock has been a valued member of Head Coach Randy Dulny’s staff at Ramaz, where as a student he played basketball for all four years, serving as both Captain of the JV and later the Varsity squads. In addition to assisting Dulny with the Varsity, Gurock has been the lead coach for Ramaz’s JV, where he has steered the team to the MYHSAL playoffs the past two seasons.
Equally significant to his appointment as the new leader of the Boys Basketball program is Gurock’s appointment as the new Boys High School Physical Education teacher for the 2015-16 school year. He replaces long-time teacher Norman Sanders, who retired this past January after many years of devoted service to the students of the Yeshivah of Flatbush. Gurock will work alongside returning Physical Education teacher Mike Gelber, who has done an outstanding job this past year in implementing the new curriculum that stresses the academic aspect of physical training and performance. As noted previously, the two have worked together in the past as staff members at Seneca Lake.
Coaching alongside Gurock will be Augusto Kennedy. Coach Kennedy has served as an assistant to Coach Borenstein at Flatbush for the last two seasons, while also serving as the Head Coach for the Middle Division Falcons 6th Grade team (with former Falcon guard Joey Dayon as his assistant this past season, Coach Kennedy led this year’s 6th graders to a playoff berth, where they made a strong run, losing in the finals to a very powerful North Shore squad). He also apprenticed under the strong guidance of Flatbush’s 8th Grade Boys Head Coach Mike Gelber, serving as Gelber’s assistant during the 2013-14 season. Coach Kennedy will serve as the Assistant Coach for the Varsity, and he will step up and serve as the lead Coach for the Flatbush JV Boys team (Coach Gurock will assist on this level). Prior to coming to Flatbush, Coach Kennedy earned a wealth of experience as a member of talented and experienced collegiate coach Ronnie Ganulin’s staff at St. Francis College of Brooklyn. Kennedy, too, has also garnered knowledge while under the tutelage and guidance of former Falcon Head Coach Irv Bader for many summers as a member of his staff at Seneca Lake Camp.
“I am very excited about this new step for our Boys Basketball program,” noted Flatbush Athletic Director Eric Amkraut. “Coach Gurock brings a wealth of knowledge and a youthful exuberance to the position that I believe will inject our program with renewed energy. I am equally excited about the fact that as a member of our teaching staff, he will have contact with our basketball student-athletes on a daily basis, insuring that they are not only on target athletically, but also academically – which is even more important. With the coaching team of Michael Gurock and Gus Kennedy in place, I envision great things for the future of Flatbush Falcons Basketball!”
Nest Notes:
Though no longer with Flatbush, Avi Borenstein will still be on the sidelines in the MYHSAL, as he has been appointed to the position of Director of Basketball Operations for JEC in Elizabeth, NJ, where he will also serve as the program’s Head Coach. The Flatbush Athletic Staff wishes him only the best as he takes his talents back home to New Jersey (except, of course, when they face the Falcons on the court!).
Coaches Gurock and Kennedy have already begun open workouts for returning and hopeful players for the 2015-16 edition of the Flatbush Falcons High School Basketball teams. Please check with the Athletic Office or with the coaches for specific dates, sites and times for these sessions. Attendance is not mandatory, and it is only in preparation for tryouts slated for this coming August/September at the start of the 2015-16 school year.
The competition is set for this Motzei Shabbat, Saturday night, December 13, 2014 in the main gym at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, NJ starting at 8:30 pm where the Yeshivah of Flatbush Girls Dance Team will compete in the Rikudiah. The Fifth Annual “Rikudiah” Inter-Yeshiva High School Dance Competition, will be hosted by Kushner Yeshiva. Flatbush’s Dance Team will take on teams from Frisch, HAFTR, HANC, Hillel, Ilan, Ma’ayanot, Magen David Yeshiva, Ramaz, Kushner, SAR, Shulamith and Central (Yeshiva University’s High School for Girls).
Featuring the kind of high-energy, technically advanced dance moves visible at half-time at most college and professional basketball games, the Falcon Dance Team will be looking to improve on last year’s 3rd place finish. The 14-member squad has a number of new faces on this year’s roster, and the team has been training hard in preparation for the competition.
With leadership from Co-Captains Claudia Elkharaat and Helen Menashe, the team has been meeting in the Student Lounge for training every Thursday afternoon in order set the choreography in place and to get their timing just right. Sessions increased to twice a week as the competition date neared.
In addition to Co-Captains Elkharaat and Menashe, the Dance Team roster consists of Louise Anteby, Esther Cohen, Cynthia Cohen, Margo Dayan, Ruthie Gindi, Shelly Jemal, Caroline Levy, Rose Mishaan, Mimi Oved, Susan Regev, Barbara Schwartzbard and Frieda Zietoonie.
The event is open to female spectators only, so Flatbush girls, note the date and come cheer on your Falcon Dancers to victory!
Against a quality opponent, the Varsity Boys Basketball team brought the energy and focus it was lacking the last time out, and played one of its top competitors even for most of the night. But, a late offensive power outage gave the guest DRS Wildcats the breathing room they needed, and the Falcons could not recover, dropping their second consecutive home game by a score of 46-36.
DRS scored off the opening tip on a practiced play, and a short time in were enjoying a 5-0 lead. It looked like the Falcons scoring woes from the previous game would continue, but Senior Forward Allan Maleh provided some scoring punch, knocking down two big baskets, and by the end of the 1st Quarter, the score stood even at 7-7.
It looked to be an even match, and though the Falcons could not get a hold on the lead, they were never far back, keeping pace with the Wildcats. DRS would pull ahead; the Falcons would claw back. DRS looked to establish inside dominance, but they were battled underneath by Flatbush big men Mayer Kamkhatchi and David Dayan. And, Flatbush’s trademark pressure defense caused its usual quota of turnovers and drew a plethora of fouls on DRS. The score reflected the balance of play, and the teams went into the intermission with DRS holding on to a slim 21-18 lead.
The Flatbush Boys Varsity Basketball team did not need to make one basket to record its first win when they were handed a victory in the Regular Season opener by virtue of a Rambam Ravens forfeit last night (10/28). Unfortunately for the Falcons, that approach did not work so well in game number two. The offense was never able to get on track, and Flatbush fell 37-20 to the Ramaz Rams in the home opener at the Falcon’s Nest.
It looked to be a real old-fashioned defensive battle, as both teams played a low-scoring, but fairly even first quarter, with Flatbush holding the slimmest of margins, 5-4. And, the defenses were strong for both teams throughout. But, it was clear from the outset that the Falcons were having trouble getting shots to fall, and it never really got much better as the game went on. Though the Falcons brought their trademark pressure defense, and were generally effective with it as they turned the Rams over 14 times (committing only 3 turnovers of their own the entire game), the Falcons could not muster more than 6 points in any quarter - and it was not all due to the defense of the Rams. The offensive sets led to a number of good open looks for the Falcons. The shots were there, they just would not drop – for anyone in a home white jersey.
Afterwards, the Falcons head coach reflected on the evening. “If you had told me we would hold Ramaz to 37 points on the night, I would have felt assured of a double-digit Flatbush victory,” opined Coach Borenstein. The reality was the opposite, as the Rams went home with the double-digit win. “We rebounded very well, and we executed our offense, creating good scoring opportunities. It was just one of those nights where nothing would go down.” In fact, there was one stretch where the Falcons corralled 6 straight offensive rebounds, and came away empty. Falcons fans can only hope that this offensive clunker is now out of their system, and that the next time out the boys from Flatbush will once again be firing on all cylinders.
Nest Notes:
Rebounding was a clear strength for the Falcons, as they won the battle of the boards by a +12 margin; the Falcons were led by Mayer Kamkhatchi’s 11 rebounds. Bobby Soffer led all Flatbush scorers with 6 points on the night.
The Flatbush Boys JV & Varsity Hockey teams took the show on the road for the first time this season, and the offense was on display for all the League to see as they downed the host squads from North Shore by scores of 7-1 and 6-1 respectively in Great Neck, NY.
First up were the JV Falcons, making their 2014-15 season debut. It marked Sophomore Sam Laniado’s first appearance in a JV game (having played his rookie season last year sharing time on the top two Varsity Falcon lines), and he drew the lion’s share of defensive attention from the North Shore Stars. That focus allowed Flatbush to spread out the offense, allowing fellow Sophomore Nathan Mosseri to tally a pair of goals in the game (the only Falcon scorer to put more than one goal past the Stars netminder), his first regular season appearance on Flatbush maroon and gold. Complimenting Laniado’s offensive stick work was Sophomore Natanel Nemet; both Laniado and Nemet recorded a pair of assists each on the night. Defensively, Sophomore Aaron Kubie was stellar in goal, leting only one errant North Shore shot get past. It was a great start to what looks to be a very promising season for the Flatbush JV Hockey team.
The Flatbush Varsity Girls Volleyball team welcomed neighboring Shulamith School for Girls for a friendly match in the Falcon’s Nest on Wednesday (10/29) night. The pre-season game will serve as a tune up in advance of the regular season, which will get underway for both the Varsity and JV Volleyball teams this week. The Shulamith Dynamites compete in the MYHSAL “B” Division, and are regulars in their divisional playoffs, being coached by Irene Eisdorfer, who competed in the Olympics as a member of the Russian National Team before immigrating to the United States.
The Dynamites took the match in straight sets, but the Flatbush girls were very positive after the end of the match. Senior Co-Captain Rebecca Zami was particularly positive. “This was very exciting! It was important for us to get this opportunity to play before the game start to count. Especially with so many newcomers on the team, we now know what we need to do. That’s really important with our playing SAR so soon, a team that is always tough.” Sara Marcus agreed. “This was really great for us,” she said. Coach Shterenzer was more reserved. While glad to have the opportunity to play, she too now knows exactly where this team needs to improve in advance of the regular season.
Nest Notes:
The regular season gets underway for the Flatbush Falcons Girls Volleyball teams this week as the team travels to the Five Towns on Long Island to take on powerful HAFTR on Wednesday night, 11/5 at 7:15 pm. The Varsity and JV open the home schedule on Sunday, 11/9 in a doubleheader against SKA. The JV game is set for a 1:30 pm start, with the Varsity game immediately to follow.
It took nearly three periods before things finally began to click for the 2014-15 edition of the Flatbush Falcons Boys Varsity Hockey team. But, by then the hole was too great, and the Falcons dropped the season opener, 4-1, to the Ramaz Rams in their home, the Falcon’s Nest in Brooklyn, NY.
The boys looked opened the game battling the Rams, but little by little the Rams offense appeared to carry the play, and it was only a matter of time before they broke through and put the puck past Senior Goaltender Elliot Zakay. Zakay came up with a nifty save or two, before being beaten by the relentless Rams frontcourt pressure. Another goal late in the period gave Ramaz a 2-0 cushion at the first break.
Period two was more of the same, where the Falcons struggled to gain the offensive zone, and it was not long before the Rams tallied another goal for a 3-0 lead. The start of the final period saw Moshe Illouz step into the pipes for his first career varsity action. When the Rams beat him as well, it was as if the falcons finally got the wake-up call they were waiting for. Things s clicked, and with less than 5 minutes to play, Jack Sasson made a textbook pass freeing up Ben Vilinsky in front of the net who sent the puck home for the first Falcon goal of the season.
It was not the opener the coaches or the team was looking for, but with a lot of season left to play, the closing minutes provided a positive effort on which to build going forward.
For the second time in two weeks, Yeshivah of Flatbush features prominently on the Court Report. This Sunday's (11/2) Court Report on the Nachum Segal Network brings together a panel of Athletic Directors from the Yeshiva League, and focuses on girls sports in the league. A major aspect of the MYHSAL, coverage of girls sports in the yehiva news outlets is often sparse, and host Elliot Weiselberg looks to bring the relative issues to the forefront.
Weiselberg moderates a panel discussion that discusses a variety of issues relative to girls sports and the yeshiva world, ranging from the availability of athletic opportunities for girls in yeshiva competition to facilities issues to coaching, and concluding with a look towards what the future holds for girls athletics. His guests on the show include Flatbush's own second-year Athletic Director, Eric Amkraut, as well as the Athletic Directors from two of the Yeshiva League's all-girls schools, Susan Rifkin of Bruriah, the girls school of JEC based in Elizabeth, NJ and Irene Eisdorfer of the relatively small Shulamith School for GIrls. Through the panel discussion, Weiselberg will look to make headway in effecting change to the present perceptions of the girls' programs and to expanding future coverage of girls's sports in the Yeshiva League.
The show will air on nachumsegal.com on Sunday night from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with and will be rebroadcast in its entirety at the same time slot on Tuesday night. To hear the broadcast, go to the website and click on "listen live," or download the NSN app and tune in on your smartphone at the scheduled time.
