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Zach Scheinfeld: Playing For Peace
An Israeli teen dribbles the ball down the court toward the basket. Blocked by the opposing team’s defense, the Israeli whips the ball to an Arab teammate, who shoots. Swoosh! Nothing but net! The Arab and Israeli slap a high-five. This unlikely scene is duplicated on basketball courts throughout Israel. Through a program called PeacePlayers International, more than 2,000 Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews have teamed up on the court to promote peace among their peoples.
Halfway around the world, in New Rochelle, New York, Zach Scheinfeld—a basketball fanatic—was thrilled to discover last year that his favorite sport was being used to build peace. As he approached the age of becoming a bar mitzvah, Zach decided to sponsor an all-star basketball tournament to help PeacePlayers raise money.
Zach spent weeks organizing every detail of the event, which raised almost $2,500 through donations, snack-stand sales, and a raffle for a basketball signed by former New York Knicks star John Starks. “I felt great, not only about the money we raised, but about the awareness we raised,” says Zach.
“Just talking about peace is not enough,” says Zach, who became a rodef shalom, pursuer of peace, through his project. “When we actually pursue peace, it will lead to peace and bring us closer to tikkun olam, repairing the world.” While basketball might seem like an unusual peace-building strategy, Zach is confident that kids who shoot hoops together are less likely to grow up to shoot guns at each other; teammates who throw passes to each other are less apt to throw stones at each other.
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