October 31, 2010

One could argue that last year’s Jewish story of the year was Cornell’s run in the NCAA tournament. What a run they had to the Sweet 16. Not only were they fun to watch and a shock to the world, but the team had 3 Jewish ball players. Finally we were able to get a hold of one. Thank you to Jon Jaques for spending some time with us. Really nice guy and we hope to hear from him again around tournament time.

Interview:

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m 22 years old, a recent graduate of Cornell, and playing basketball professionally in Israel this season for Ironi Ashkelon. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, where I grew up in a Jewish household (went to Hebrew school, was bar-mitzvahd…the whole deal). Aside from playing basketball, I’m a huge sports nut in general. Love basketball, baseball, football, but I’ll watch/get into pretty much anything (except NASCAR). I’m interested in a career in sports journalism after I’m done playing, so I’m doing my best to continue writing while I’m overseas. I’m contributing a college basketball blog for Slamonline.com and writing my own diary-type blog about my experience in Israel

2) Was basketball always your best sport?
I think basketball has always been my favorite sport, but for a while I’d say I was a better baseball player. When I was maybe 10-15 years old, I was huge for my age and, as a pitcher, could throw the ball harder than anyone and hit pretty decently too. In California, baseball is almost a year-round sport, so every year I’d end up dropping baseball for a handful of months to focus on basketball (which I enjoyed more anyway). Eventually in my junior year of high school, it became clear that I couldn’t excel in one sport without dropping the other, so I figured I might as well focus on the one I enjoyed more. 

3) When did you know you could play in college?
I probably knew I could play college basketball right before my junior season in high school. I had spent my sophomore year on the varsity basketball team, and even though I didn’t play much, I was able to land on a decent club team for the summer. I played pretty well the summer between my sophomore and junior seasons, and when I came back to school, my high school coach told me my play had caught the attention of some college coaches and, if I improved and kept working hard during the upcoming season, I would have a legitimate chance to play college basketball. My goal was always to become a Division I basketball player, and hearing my coach say that motivated me even more to make that dream a reality.

4) What was it like during Cornell’s run last year?
Obviously last year’s run to the Sweet 16 was an experience I’ll never forget. It will probably end up being one of the greatest times of my life, not just because I was part of Cornell’s historic achievements on the court, but because I did it with my best friends. I know the camaraderie and chemistry on our team was more of a reason for our success than anything else, and that’s what will make last March extremely memorable. The atmosphere on campus was electric during our run to the Sweet 16 as well…we turned Cornell into a basketball school, which was fun to see.

5) What was the coolest part about the tournament that people might not know about?
  Definitely the police-escorts the NCAA provided our team bus during our weekend in Jacksonville. We would be staying a half hour drive away from the arena or practice gym, but with 4 motor cops flanking our bus, we would arrive at our destination in 10 minutes max. Our whole team really got a kick out of that.

6) Did you feel that Cornell reached its potential last year?
Yes and no. Before the season began, as a veteran team that had been to the tournament the previous two seasons and not won a game yet, we decided our goal should be to make the Sweet 16. We honestly felt we had the talent to do something special and historic. Obviously we peeked at the perfect time of year, won our first two tournament games, accomplished our pre-season goal, and entered our game v Kentucky as an unbelievably confident team. Then we had our worst shooting game of the season. Now, 99% of the credit belongs to Kentucky for playing the most smothering defense I had ever seen in person, but weeks later after our disappointment went away, our entire team was frustrated by what could have been. So I think we had an unbelievably successful season, but with the way we were playing in March, we all thought there was the potential for more.

7) How are you enjoying your Israeli experience?
Israel has been really fun so far. I’m still getting adjusted to how different the culture and the people are here from home. For example, everything is closed on Friday afternoons through Saturday nights for Shabbat, so I have to plan around that. But as a Jewish-American, it definitely feels special, and I feel honored, to be able to live here. It’s kind of allowed me to reconnect with Judaism. I’ve enjoyed site-seeing as well (already been the Western Wall twice, once in the week preceding Yom Kippur). I still have plenty more to see though. 

8) Are you making Aliyah? Do you plan on playing basketball in Israel for a while?
Yes, I’m making Aliyah. I’m kind of taking my career over here in Israel one year at a time. I don’t see this as a long-term career though…I want to do this as long as I’m still having fun or until I have some other non-basketball opportunities back home. When I was given the chance to come to Israel through basketball, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’d be crazy to pass up. But I don’t see myself as a guy who plays basketball in Europe for years and years.

9) Are there any other young Jewish basketball players to watch out for?
There are two more Jewish players still at Cornell. Chris Wroblewski is a Junior and the only remaining starter from the Sweet 16 team and he’s got my vote for preseason Ivy League POY. And sophomore Eitan Chemerinski is a young but extremely talented/versatile post player. Those are probably the two best young Jewish basketball players I know.

10) Whats your favorite restaurant in Israel so far?
I like any restaurant that serves Shawarma. It’s not a very healthy option, but I can’t get enough of the stuff. Aroma Café is very nice also. It’s the Israeli equivalent of Starbucks… I know they have a few in New York City, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually caught on even more in the States.

Thanks again to Jon.
And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine

Aunt Minnie, my mother, and many of their friends played Mahjong every Sunday afternoon for hours upon hours, peppered with sips of coffee, bites of strudel, and soft whispers about Uncle Irving’s ulcer.  The game of Mahjong was a favorite amongst Jewish Women, but is also played by millions of people in Asia as well as Asian-Americans.  Ruth Unger, president of the New York-based Mahjong League for twenty-six years, states that “you are mixing the tiles and you talk and you talk and these people become your network, your support group – everything you need.”

Mahjong first came to the United States in the 1920s by a man named Joseph Babcock who brought it from Shanghai.  The game became very popular and Eddie Cantor, the well-known Broadway star, sang the popular hit:  “Since Ma is playing Mahjong”.  Mahjong lacked standardized rules, but one Jewish woman changed this by founding the National Mahjong League in 1937 which became the ruling authority, issuing official American rules colloquially known as “Jewish Rules”.  It also pledged to devote all of its profits to charity, something that this league continues to do.  For example, they supported a pediatric wing at a hospital in Florida and another pediatric wing in the Nassau University Medical Center.

In 2007, The Hong Kong Medical Journal claimed that the game can cause “Mahjong Epilepsy”.  Allegedly, twenty-three people in Hong Kong and Taiwan suffered seizures only when playing the tile-clicking game.  It is not clear what caused the seizures – perhaps a new competitive spirit or larger bets could have precipitated these events.  It is also not clear, since no details are available, that they in fact had authentic seizures.  Recently, doctors in the Hunan province of China diagnosed a forty year old woman with a Mahjong- related deep vein thrombosis, which is a dangerous blood clot.  These doctors posted a letter in The Lancet Medical Journal which stated that the woman had been sitting for eight hours at a Mahjong game.  She had sudden pain in her legs and was brought to the emergency room.  Allegedly, she had sat perfectly still while playing the game and had only one soft drink during that entire time.  The letter stated that the Mahjong – related deep vein thrombosis initiated by minimal physical movements and dehydration could be complicated by stress and sleep deprivation.  The woman spent two weeks in the hospital for this condition receiving intravenous blood thinners while she wore compression stockings.  Currently, she has improved significantly and is under- going continuous therapy.  It is not clear whether she will ever play Mahjong again.

WHAT IS DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT)?
Deep Vein Thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the body’s deep veins, usually in the legs.  Although serious complications are rare, if left untreated there is a potential that the clot could travel to the lungs, causing a life-threatening condition known as Pulmonary Embolism.  Because only 30% of these patients experience symptoms, it can be difficult to recognize. 

DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS RISK FACTORS
There are many reasons why people might develop DVT which include:

1. A history of DVT
2. Certain inherited disorders such as Factor V Leiden
3. Birth Control Pills
4. Injury to a deep vein during surgery
5. Injury to a deep vein secondary to trauma
6. Slow blood flow from lack of movement (after surgery, being bedridden, or sitting for long hours in an airplane or automobile or playing Mahjong)
7. Pregnancy
8. Certain treatments for cancer
9. Central Venous Catheter ( a tube placed in the vein to allow access to the blood stream for medication.).
10. Elderly
11. Overweight/obesity

COULD YOU HAVE DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS?
1. Have you noticed any swelling in either of your legs, your ankles and feet or  
along any vein?
2. Do you experience pain, tenderness or other discomfort in your legs?
3. If you do experience pain in your legs, does it feel like a cramp in your calf and does it become more pronounced when standing or walking?
4. Have you noticed any pain or swelling in your arms or neck? 
5. Does there appear to be any unusual redness or warmth in your legs, arms or neck?
If you think you have DVT, call your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately.

In spite of the internet, iPhones, iPads, 3D movies, wonderful restaurants and hundreds of other social activities, the game of Mahjong continues exuberantly amongst the Jewish woman in New York, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  So ladies:  don’t get dehydrated, move around frequently and for goodness sakes, place smaller bets.

This week was tough. Someone in my life lost a job. Someone in my life was losing their home. A friend was physically assaulted by a family member. Another loved one was hospitalized for addiction. A friend’s mother is very sick. And that’s all just this week!

It seems that the more people you know and love, the more tsouris you encounter. Tsouris (which is Yiddish for trouble) has a transitive property. Each person’s struggle not only affects them but a web of family and friends. These supporters consequently walk around, trying to go about the tasks of their day while carrying around heaviness in their heart. Family and friends bear a combination of sorrow and powerlessness over situations that spiral out of control.

With this heaviness, I turn to this week’s portion and ask: what do you have to say to me? What comfort can you offer to my aching heart?

At the opening of this week’s parasha, the characters must have felt heavy-hearted as well. Abraham had nearly killed Isaac in last week’s portion, and Sarah dies in this week’s portion. According to the rabbis, Sarah died because she heard about Isaac’s near-death and couldn’t bear the news. So now, Abraham and Isaac each face dual traumas – that of Isaac’s near-death and Sarah’s actual death. They certainly had tsouris!

So what did they do with their tsouris?

The portion recounts that Abraham immediately sent his servant back to his hometown to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham didn’t leave the servant Eliezer with directions on how to find the right woman; he was left to his own devices. Eliezer’s plan was curious. He went to the well of the town and prayed to God for a young woman to come. He would ask for water, and if the woman gave water not only to him, but to his camels, then he would know that she was The One.

Lo and behold, a woman came and when he asked for water, she gave it both to him and his camels. Eliezer then knew he’d hit the jackpot. After some negotiations with her family, he brought the woman home to meet Isaac. When she arrived, “Isaac took Rebecca as his wife, Isaac loved her and thus found comfort after his mother’s death.”

Eliezer’s bride-selection method seems odd by modern standards, but it highlights what he was seeking – kindness. When Rebecca gave the camels water, she went beyond Eliezer’s request. As Rabbi Harold Kushner explained, “Abraham and Sarah, for all their pioneering religious achievements were sometimes insensitive to members of their own household. Rebecca’s kindness and generosity may have been what was needed to correct those family dynamics.” Like tsouris, caring too has transitive properties; it brings healing to wounded hearts.

In this cruel world, this week’s portion teaches: Seek out kindness, and when you find it, hold onto it with all your might.