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The Jewish Sport Report: This inspiring Jewish sports story will never air on TV

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Hello, Jewish Sport Report readers!

Israel’s impressive run at the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego came to an end Wednesday in a quarterfinals loss to the United States, the top-ranked team. Before losing to the American team, Israel had beaten Sweden, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the Czech Republic and Ireland.

Read our recent deep-dive on lacrosse in Israel here.

An inspiring Jewish story cut from ‘American Ninja Warrior’

Members of the Jewish Inspiration Foundation on the set of “American Ninja Warrior.” From left to right: Chaya Ruth Weberman, Eli Casper, Ari Cohen, Esther Schwab and Aydra Jones. (Courtesy of Leah Cohen)

Orthodox athlete Michael Neuman had set it up perfectly. He qualified for the current season of NBC’s obstacle course competition show “American Ninja Warrior.” And he had arranged for a group of children with severe illnesses and disorders from his charitable organization to join him in Los Angeles for the taping.

The kids had the time of their lives. They were going to be featured in the show’s promotional content and on the episode itself. They were put up in a 5-star hotel.

But the semifinals were set to be filmed on Shabbat, and Neuman took himself out of the competition. The show decided not to air any of the footage of Neuman and his foundation, and the children’s parents were devastated that they wouldn’t receive any of the footage as keepsake records.

“I can’t fathom that that’s out there and one day when my son, God forbid, is not here, to know that those pictures and those videos are out there, and I won’t be able to have any comfort in looking at them and seeing them and being proud of them,” Leah Cohen, one of the parents who went on the trip, told me.

Read more about the whole ordeal here.

Halftime report

NO MORE 88. Italian soccer players will no longer be allowed to wear No. 88, after the Italian government and the Italian soccer federation announced a joint initiative this week aimed at curbing antisemitism. The number 88 has been used by neo-Nazis as a coded antisemitic symbol.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN. More than a thousand Jewish teenage athletes from 10 countries are convening for the JCC Maccabi Games next week, an Olympics-style competition put on by the Maccabi World Union. The tournament kicks off on Thursday, and at the opening ceremony next weekend, attendees will hear from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Israeli NBA player Deni Avdija will light the torch.

ENCORE. After placing third in the Under-20 World Cup, Israel’s under-21 soccer team is on a run of its own at the European Championships. Israel pulled off an upset 1-0 win over the Czech Republic on Wednesday and will advance to the quarterfinals, where they face the host country Georgia on Saturday.

BAGEL-ED. It’s been an up-and-down week, and season, for Oakland A’s fans. But one night before watching their squad lose in a perfect game, Jewish A’s fans were treated to a win-win: their team beat the New York Yankees on Jewish Heritage Night. There were bagels, of course.

LIKE RIDING A BIKE. The Tour de France begins tomorrow, and eight cyclists will suit up for a team called Israel Premier Tech, which features a Star of David on its uniform. But none of them are Jewish or Israeli. The Forward has more.

These Ukrainian teens are headed to Jewish sports camp in California

Clockwise from top left: Leonid Bereslavich, Mark Sagan, Alexey Kulik, Nikita Novitsky, Ilya Miroshnichenko, Veniamin Rudman and Artur Dotsenko (Courtesy of Makkabi Ukraine)

Thanks to a partnership between Maccabi USA and the Ramah camping system, a group of six Ukrainian teens and one counselor are headed to California next week for an all-expenses-paid trip to Ramah Sports Academy.

“For these children, who mainly are now in Ukraine, it’s really a good opportunity to have a good rest, to see another country, to speak with teens the same age as they are,” said Galina Pechaiko, who lives in Kyiv and serves as Makkabi Ukraine’s deputy director.

I spoke with a number of the teens and the organizers of the initiative. Check it out.

Jews in sports to watch this weekend

IN BASEBALL…

Dean Kremer takes the mound for the Baltimore Orioles tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Minnesota Twins. Harrison Bader and the New York Yankees face his old team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in a three-game set this weekend, while Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros take on their division rival Texas Rangers.

IN SOCCER…

Daniel Edelman and the New York Red Bulls host the Columbus Crew Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Edelman is coming off a solid performance against Atlanta, which earned him a spot on the MLS Young Players of the Matchday. Israel’s under-21 national team faces Georgia tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET in the European U-21 Championship.

IN BASKETBALL…

Abby Meyers and the Washington Mystics take on the Atlanta Dream tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Dallas Wings Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

IN RACING…

Lance Stroll will be racing at the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.

Nominate a standout athlete today!

Don’t forget to nominate an awesome Jewish student athlete for our upcoming list of “Jewish Student Athletes to Watch.” We’re looking to highlight high school and college athletes who are stars on and off the field.

Nominations are open through July 12. Nominate someone today!


The post The Jewish Sport Report: This inspiring Jewish sports story will never air on TV appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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240 Arrested as IDF Dismantles Hamas HQ Inside Kamel Adwan Hospital

Illustrative. Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

i24 NewsIsraeli forces concluded an operation to dismantle a Hamas terror headquarters in Gaza’s Kamel Adwan Hospital. Some 240 terror suspects were arrested, including the hospital’s director and some 15 terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre.

The post 240 Arrested as IDF Dismantles Hamas HQ Inside Kamel Adwan Hospital first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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IAF Downs Two Gazan Rockets Fired Towards Jerusalem

Illustrative. Rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel, in Gaza May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammd Salem

JNS.orgThe Israeli Air Force on Saturday downed two rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip towards Jerusalem.

The attack triggered air-raid sirens in the capital, the Western Negev and the the Judean Foothills (the Shfela).

There were no reports of injuries.

Following the rocket fire, the military again called on Palestinians to evacuate parts of the northern Strip.

“Urgent warning to all those who have not yet evacuated the area specified in the map, and the Beit Hanun area [in the Strip’s northeast] in particular,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, posted to X.

“This area has been warned many times in the past. The IDF is operating in this area with force. You must evacuate the area immediately and move south towards Salah El Din Road. Moving via another road exposes you to danger,” he added.

On Dec. 11, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired four rockets at southern Israel, setting off sirens in several towns and villages along the border. The Israel Defense Forces intercepted two of the rockets, with the others impacting in open areas, causing no damage.

On Dec. 3, the IAF intercepted one rocket fired from northern Gaza.

The IDF’s year-plus-long offensive against Hamas in the enclave has greatly curbed rocket fire from the Strip, although Palestinian terrorists still intermittently target the Jewish state.

The post IAF Downs Two Gazan Rockets Fired Towards Jerusalem first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Putin Apologizes Over ‘Tragic Incident’ with Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

i24 NewsRussian leader Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev for what he said represented a “tragic incident” in Russian airspace involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed on Wednesday.

Flight J2-8243 crashed in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.

“Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

“It was noted in the conversation that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was traveling according to its schedule, repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks,” the Kremlin said.

The post Putin Apologizes Over ‘Tragic Incident’ with Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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