Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom participated in a basketball clinic and panel discussion on faith and sports at Sinai Temple. Courtesy of Miller Ink Sinai Temple held a multifaith basketball clinic and panel discussion with 11-year NBA veteran Enes Kanter Freedom and college basketball star Ryan Turell.
“We can use sports as a tool to bring people together,” Kanter Freedom, who played for the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks, among other teams, said during the Aug. 10 event at Sinai.
Sinai Temple hosted the community program in partnership with the Muslim Coalition for America (MCA), a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to providing a positive national platform for American Muslims. Additional partners were Tamir Goodman Basketball Camp, Faithful Central Bible Church and Church of the Good Shepherd.
“I’m passionate about sports and faith – not about trade deadlines and box scores, but about what is in athletes’ hearts and souls,” Sinai Temple Rabbi Erez Sherman told the Journal.
During the basketball clinic, more than 65 students of different faiths, in grades first through eighth, participated in various drills led by Kanter Freedom and Turell.
Afterwards, a panel discussion featured Kanter Freedom and Turell.
Omar Qudrat, founder of MCA, provided opening remarks, and Sherman moderated the conversation. Each of the panelists shared their experiences integrating faith with basketball and discussed how sports can be a vehicle for creating interfaith unity.
During his lengthy career in the NBA, Kanter Freedom has sought to have an impact beyond the basketball court. He has been vocal about human rights issues, denouncing Turkish president Recap Erdogan as well as the Chinese government. The 6-foot-10-center and practicing Muslim recently visited Israel for the first time to launch a multifaith basketball camp.
“The political people, we might not be able to change their mindset, but the young kids, we can,” he said, “because we can use basketball as a tool to change it.”
Turell, who led Yeshiva University’s men’s basketball team to unprecedented succcess, spoke about what it was like to be an observant Jew in basketball.
“I feel like everytime I step on the court, I’m representing not just myself and whoever I play for,” he said, “but the Jewish people as a whole.”
Repair the World and Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles have announced a partnership to expand the footprint of Jewish service in Los Angeles.
According to the L.A. Federation, the two organizations are aiming to create more opportunities for young people to engage in impactful service work around Los Angeles.
“With committed local partners, more young people in Los Angeles will be able to engage in service alongside their neighbors and create meaningful change in their communities through a Jewish lens, Repair the World CEO and President Cindy Greenberg said. “We’re excited to collaborate closely with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles to address urgent local needs.”
Repair, with support from the L.A. Federation, is launching a two-year, full-time stipend fellowship in Los Angeles and will continue to operate its part-time stipend Service Corps and episodic service opportunities. With these initiatives, “We are well positioned to expand our efforts throughout Los Angeles,” Michael Auerbach of Repair the World Los Angeles said.
L.A. Federation President and CEO Rabbi Noah Farkas expressed excitement about the Federation collaborating with Repair the World.
“We are a stronger Jewish community when we work together, and we are thrilled to solidify this already strong bond between our Federation and Repair the World,” Farkas said.
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