Reflections
Dr. Josh Levisohn
It’s cold and snowy outside which must mean that the Tanzman Tournament is upon us!!
Each team that came last year expressed in person how wonderful an experience their players had at our tournament. Their expressions of gratitude and appreciation were then backed up by the extremely quick registration for this year’s tournament by most of the same teams…with three additional teams that we could not accommodate.
What makes Tanzman so special? As a small school-specific tournament, all of the players are eager to meet others…and unlike in some tournaments, there is very little tribalism when it comes to how the teams interact. Many of them are friends from Camp Stone or NCSY and that is reflected in their camaraderie, their hands out to help others on the court, their banter on and off the court. It is a tournament that really makes one feel good about klal yisrael.
It is also special because of how warmly our student, teachers and host families greet our guests and make them feel welcome and comfortable. It creates an environment that is unique for tournaments and helps to make Detroit look like the wonderful community that it is.
We have set the bar high…so now I am asking all of you to help us reach that bar and exceed it. If someone looks lost, ask how you can help. If a parent cheers for their child, say a nice word to them. If a team plays the Farber Fire, with them the best in their next game after ours is concluded.
Though the games take place in the gym, Farber is still a makom Torah…please remember to dress appropriately for games and while walking around the building (for men, that includes wearing a kippah and slacks; for women, that includes wearing a skirt.)
This is a perfect opportunity for us to put our best foot forward in all respects and it is one of the reasons that I most love the Tanzman Tournament.
The tournament is also special because it is largely run by students, led by our co-commissioners Avi Selesny and Micah Adler. They really do an incredible job organizing the tournament as students. Of course, they couldn’t do it alone, and among all of the volunteers and staff members, one stands out as truly indispensable: Naomi Gardin takes care of details large and small and takes upon herself the responsibility for so much of the tournament. Thank you, Naomi, for making the tournament possible.
This should be a great weekend of basketball, but even more so, a great weekend for the spirit and potential of smaller Jewish day schools. Let the fun begin!
