Three years ago, I met a few American-Israelis who had a crazy dream to bring lacrosse to Israel. A New Jersey born twenty-something who'd been living in Israel then for about four years, I loved Israel and loved lacrosse. It felt natural to go along for the ride. I have been promoting the development of Israel Lacrosse's women's lacrosse program ever since.
In between answering Israelis' countless questions about my lacrosse stick ("Is that the sport you play on a horse?" "No!") I also traveled with the women's national team to play in the European Championship Festival in Amsterdam last year. We won the festival tournament and it was incredibly exciting to represent a country that I love.
The Women's World Cup has elevated Israel Lacrosse to new heights. Our team, composed of mostly dual American-Israeli citizens, has bonded in a way I never could have imagined, both with one another, and with Israel's culture and people. Before training camp the whole team participated in a two-week training camp in Israel. We practiced twice a day, and in our limited spare time traveled the country, running youth lacrosse clinics and participating in social action projects.
Some members of the international lacrosse community are not pleased with the make-up of the Israeli team. In addition to the team's Israeli-born players, players who immigrated to Israel many years ago or are children of Israeli parents, many of our players are American-born college athletes. As our team outperformed expectations in the tournament, we started to receive complaints from members of the international lacrosse community who did not think our "U.S.-born players" should be allowed to represent Israel. The complainers do not understand what Israel is, what Israel represents. Israel, the State of the Jewish people, is the homeland of all Jews.
Our team learned during training camp that even though some of us may have not have grown up in Israel, Israel is our home. Even players who never before identified much with Judaism, felt a strong connection to Israel's culture, people, and heritage.
In this same spirit, the entire team supports our decision to not play our scheduled playoff match in Oshawa, Ont., this Saturday, on Shabbat, in recognition of Israeli culture and the uniqueness of the day.
No, not many of the current players on the team religiously observe Shabbat, but in Israel Shabbat is special.
No, not many of the current players on the team religiously observe Shabbat, and no, not all Israelis religiously observe Shabbat, but in Israel Shabbat is special. Many Israelis religiously observe Shabbat to varying degrees; some use Shabbat as a day to spend time with their family, others just use the day to unwind.
Israel Lacrosse does not play on Shabbat – even in international play – as a way to commemorate where we come from and who we represent.
In our modern world where holidays such as Memorial Day have for many Americans turned into a free vacation day and a weekend of great sales (not in Israel, by the way, where Memorial Day is not a vacation day, and almost every Israeli participates in memorial services to remember the fallen), drawing some lines in the sand about keeping to the spirit of traditions and holidays is in order. By not playing on Shabbat, Israel Lacrosse is doing just that.
Today I, along with the whole Israel Lacrosse family, am living the dream. Our 12-9 win over New Zealand yesterday secured our spot in the "elite eight." Today, we match up against Canada. No matter the outcome, we have playoff games scheduled on both Friday and Saturday. We won't play our game on Saturday, and hope the Federation of International Lacrosse will find a way to accommodate us and reschedule the game for Friday or Sunday.
Either way, each and every one of us will leave the World Cup proud to have represented our values, our people, and our homeland.
This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
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(17) RJB, July 27, 2013 3:11 AM
team decision
I admire the team's decision not to play on shabbat. HaShem does not say follow my commandments some times, no, HaShem says to follow my commandments at all times. Also, we are to be a example to the world and that is what the Israeli LaCrosse team did, so hurrah to the team. In this complicated world we live in, we have to decide which book is best to have our names written in, HaShem's book or a world record book.. In my mind, HaShem's book is best!
(16) Anonymous, July 25, 2013 7:59 AM
kiddush Hashem
What a kiddush Hashem! Doesn't matter that not everyone is strictly observant - it's still terrific! We should all learn from you!
(15) roxanne, July 25, 2013 1:29 AM
Kol Hakavod. I suuport you and the team 100%. I feel it is awesome that you are honoring Shabbat. Whatever the league decides, you are shinning a light. You are standing up for our faith and culture. Much love and respect from one of Am Yisrael.
(14) Anonymous, July 24, 2013 11:18 AM
My name is Al and I'm an American Jew. I want to say that I strongly
support your decision of not playing on Saturday. I don't know if I would
have had guts to put it that way, but I'm definitely on your side and I
support your decision. I hope Israeli team gets accommodated to play on a
different day, but if not we will have to live with our decision.
All the best,
Al
(13) Chasha Chana, July 23, 2013 11:05 PM
Kol hakavod!
You and the entire team deserve a well earned Yasher Koach! By standing your ground you are showing the world a moral victory. Doesn't matter that all do not "observe" Shabbat, it is still an official day of rest. Actually, in America there used to be "blue laws", no commerce of any kind was allowed on Sunday. Those days are long gone. Didn't quite understand some of the other comments, but at least they read your post.
(12) toni, July 23, 2013 10:49 PM
Agreement
I totally agree with the team's stance. As a teacher I refused to coach an academic team one year because the county-wide meeting was being held on Rosh Hashana and the 'powers that be' could see no reason for changing the date. It was the only year that another school was able to attain first place. If we're going to 'talk the talk then we must walk the walk.'
As an aside:
I am a non-observant Jew, but still am Jewish, who will be visiting Israel next month. We are planning our first Shabbat in Tel Aviv and our second in Jerusalem. I haven't been there since I spent a year in Israel leaving the day before the Six Day War began. I'm excited!
(11) bvw, July 22, 2013 2:55 PM
Memorial Day
In the US Memorial Day began as a very local honoring of the dead during the Civil War, a war of ideals whose participants included every town and every family. It started in the South, although some say it started in the North, in any case the honoring was at the gravesites of the fallen, decorating them with flowers, and it was a very local custom.
It was adopted by many communities long before it was nationalized. Today in the US wars are fought by a few, and they are honored pompously with every politician showing up to get his photo in the papers and give a speech unlistened and unspoken, if the heart is the measure of speech. There is not memorial in a Memorial Day, and that's not such a bad thing, but the indulgent selfish ever-vacation, symbolized by three day Federal Weekends is.
I myself am a fan of the marches and marchers, the bands and the banners, but not of the grave decorators and speech makers who arrive like a pack of vultures and bottle flies at the site of the fallen. And I never "work for the weekend".
But that is where Memorial Day comes from, imo. It's not Shabbes,. I also like the poem "In Flanders Fields".
What is memory for and what memorial?
(10) Aharon, July 22, 2013 10:12 AM
Kol Hakavod
Stephanie, your team is making a real kiddush hashem by showing the world that somethings are more important than winning games.
(9) Anonymous, July 22, 2013 4:33 AM
Women's Lacrosse not on Shababat
Our daughter played women's lacrosse in high school and was a 4 year starter in College. Now she referees lacrosse games at all levels and coaches in addition to her 9-5 job. Our family loves the game. She also has visited Israel. I am sure she and I agree with your stand on no lacrosse on Shabbat. Hopefully the international organization will make alternate plans for your team. Unless they are afraid Israel will win!
(8) Anonymous, July 21, 2013 7:09 PM
the 400,0000
the 400,000 included Jewish men and women.
IF PEOPLE WANT TO SHOP THAT'S FINE... BUT BY IT'S DEFINITION MEMORIAL DAY IS FOR "MEMORY AND " AND REFLECTION.
fURTHER ... THERE WEREN'T MANY EUROPEAN Jews WHO SURVIVED. For the most part those of us here today were living in other parts of the world... such as the U.S. and
Palestine.
(7) Seymour flics, July 21, 2013 5:13 PM
Wonderful. Every Jew should be proud of his religion and his heritage and let the world know. Years ago I overheard two Gentiles talking about a Jew they knew. One said , but he is reformed and the other responded but he is still a Jew. We should all remember that. No matter what the level of observance only Hashem can decide what if anything should be done
(6) John K, July 21, 2013 4:40 PM
Sabbath
I'm excited to see some people walking their talk. Many times I've seen churches take a stand against Sunday Shopping, they all go out to the Restaurant after service to discuss the issue and none of them catch the irony.
In a good lot of North American homes, we have let Our Sabbath become just another day in the week. I'm delighted to see somebody take their religion's observations seriously.
(5) Laurence Cohn, July 21, 2013 3:14 PM
Lacrosse is the best!
My sons played Lacrosse in middle school, high school and one of my sons was a wrestler and goalie picked to represent Ohio in the national competition and went on to play lacrosse in college -- Israel should start a "mens" lacrosse team and kick some butt!
Anonymous, July 25, 2013 12:40 AM
Israel Lacrosse has a men's team too.
For more information about Israel Lacrosse, visit http://www.lacrosse.co.il/
(4) David roseb, July 21, 2013 3:09 PM
Winners either way!
What a international statement you women are sending to the world - we all have our different levels of Shabbat observance- but no one can take the Medal of Honor that you will have won by not participating on Shabbos- That's Teamwork -Jewish style!
(3) Nichael Reiter, July 21, 2013 3:02 PM
Remenber
Your article is fine but do not forget one thing. There are 400,000 dead GI's who put that wall paper hanger out of business. If we want to shop on Memorial Day, I say we earned it! You would not be alive without those real heroes!
joan, July 21, 2013 7:00 PM
the 400,000
jewish men and women were part of that 400,000.
yy, July 21, 2013 10:37 PM
is that the way we commemorate our fallen heroes by going shopping and changing The Memorial day to fit a shopping spree
Anonymous, July 22, 2013 3:38 AM
Memorial
But this is what she was saying. Here in Israel we remember our fallen with services etc. And not shopping because they deserve remembering with honour. Your soldiers fell so that you could shop?
(2) Ella, July 21, 2013 3:02 PM
Todah Rabah
As a lover of Israel and the Torah of HaShem thank you for doing what few do: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Whether or not you win the title - you are winners!
tziviya, July 21, 2013 10:24 PM
i,m not sure
My father in law played on a jewish sports team in germany. When their team won the non-jewish opposing team became enraged and a fight broke out. Soon after wwll broke out and my father in law lost his entire family. So i think israel should have lacrosse tournaments amongst themselves in israel and invite other countries to come to israel to meet and play our teams. But we don,t belong in their country playing against them on their fields. Jews are here to teach peace, harmony and happiness to the world.
(1) Alvin, July 21, 2013 2:43 PM
So proud of you!
Stepahnie You have no idea of the great accomplishment you and your teammates have made. You are real champions.