Squeals of delight emanating from a few hundred very young children was the order of the day at GIVAT HAVIVA as the annual Menashe Regional Municipality 2-week summer camp for local Jewish and Arab children got under way. 

   Softball was one of the many activities offered at this year’s summer camp.  It certainly generated the most physical action and excitement as 6 year-olds from neighboring Jewish and Arab communities in the Menashe region slugged, threw and caught an oversize ball in oversize catcher’s gloves in the shadow of the gigantic Peace Tree on the Givat Haviva expansive main lawn.

   The children wore T-shirts with a Menashe Summer Camp logo on the front and Softball for Peace 2010 on the back.  They eagerly awaited their turn to practice throwing, catching and hitting the large white and yellow balls – all babbling away merrily in Hebrew or Arabic.  It didn’t matter if you didn’t speak either language because the language of sport, everybody having a go – laughing at the same funny gestures of coaches and enthusiastic clapping when a kid caught a ball or the bat connected with a knack and the hit made, said it loud and clear.

   A group of over 100 North American teens aged 15-18 looked enviously at the children at play as they made their way to classrooms to hear a talk about coexistence, and would have gladly turned in the opposite direction and joined in with the batters, catchers and base minders instead, even though the sporting crowd was considerably younger!  Before their seminar even started these youngsters saw an example of local Jewish and Arab kids and adults coming together to play ball and build bridges between their communities in the most sporting of manners.

   Among the coaches were former North American Dan Aronovik and his daughter Stephanie (who is serving in the IDF) who hail from Kadima, and Adriana Luchansky from Rosh Ha’ayin.  They were assisted by young Jewish and Arab students acting as translators for the “kinder”. After a short time of playing softball, language did not come in to it – the ball is round for all.

   Established in 1979 by new immigrants from the Americas, the activities of the Israel Softball Association (ISA) have assisted many immigrants in their social integration.  These days many of their adult and junior players are Israeli born and represent their country in international competitions as well as participating in a lively Israeli league with teams from Eilat to Beit She’an.  The present Israeli senior champions are a team from the Black Hebrews community in Dimona.

   Executive director of the ISA is Ami Baran, a former Chicagoan who resides in Moshav Maor, one of the many moshavim, kibbutzim and three Arab villages that make up the Menashe Regional Council.

Head coach Adriana Luchansky made aliyah from Argentina eight years ago.  She is the development officer for the ISA and coaches the Israel national women’s senior and junior teams. 

   An all-round sportswoman, Luchansky also plays tennis and golf. “I was pitcher for the Argentinian Women’s National team and played for the HaKoach Club of Argentina,” explains Adriana who will shortly be accompanying the national team to Vienna for the European Championships and then to the USA for the JCC Games with the junior team.

   Softball is already on the curriculum of after-school activities in the center of the country and will be introduced to schools of the Menashe Regional Council in the coming school year and says Luchansky, things are looking promising in other parts of the country as well.