On Thursday, April 19, the pupils and students of the ESRA Students Build a Neighborhood project of Kiryat Nordau and Hefzibah, Netanya, joined the excited crowds watching Barak Netanya basketball team play against Habikaa Kiryat Ono team for the right to proceed to the semifinals of the top basketball league.

Free tickets to the game were provided by the Hoops for Kids volunteer group and each of the pupils was presented with a bright yellow Barak Netanya t-shirt. In turn, the pupils and students enthusiastically and loudly supported the hometown team in their challenge for the championship.

The game was opened by Mulat Araro (far left in the picture) together with the pupils, in a message of importance to players, spectators and to all who saw it on TV and in the news: “In Sports Equality Wins”. Who could or would argue with such honest and profound sentiment and such a personal lesson in good citizenship.

Sadly our local team, Barak Netanya, lost 78:79 with a very contentious last minute foul, which allowed the opposing team to break the tie with a point in their favor.  Nonetheless, a great time was had by all and we look forward to our next basketball workshop under the auspices of Hoops for Kids.