By: David Ben Hooren

A group of young Israeli basketball players whose hometowns were devastated by the October 7 Hamas attack recently reunited in New York to play against local teams. This heartfelt gathering was organized by the non-profit Project 24, which brought together 19 former members of the high school team HaPoel Eshkol for a series of games in the Empire State, NY Post reported.

The team, hailing from the Eshkol region, includes players from some of the hardest-hit kibbutzim such as Be-eri and Nir Oz. The attack led to the massacre of 1,200 people and the capture of 250 more, profoundly impacting the young athletes and their families. The players, now living in temporary housing and hotels, faced tremendous personal loss. Many lost family members and their homes, and some had relatives taken hostage by the terror group.

Guy Moses Auerbach, 19, the captain of HaPoel Eshkol, expressed the emotional significance of the reunion. “Each and every one of us evacuated from different places,” Auerbach said to dozens of spectators before a game against the Ramaz School, a Jewish high school on the Upper East Side. “All the team split up. We haven’t played at all this season.”

The intense match ended in a 45-to-45 tie, with students and others cheering from packed bleachers. The game was a moment of solace and connection for the team, who had not played together since the attack.

For Noam Or, the trip had a poignant significance. Held hostage for 50 days, he learned of his mother’s murder upon release and later discovered his father’s death. Despite his grief, Or found the trip deeply meaningful, allowing him to reconnect with his teammates and find some joy in their shared passion for basketball.

“Basketball has been my way of life,” said Auerbach, a center power forward. “It’s where I go when I want to be disconnected from the world and hang with friends and stuff like that.” He emphasized the importance of the sport in providing an escape and a sense of normalcy.

Project 24 sponsored the team’s ten-day trip, which began in Port Washington on May 15 and concluded in Manhattan on May 24. Throughout the trip, they played seven games and scrimmages against local public schools, Jewish schools, and at Jewish Community Centers. They also enjoyed a variety of activities, including attending a Knicks playoff game, a Yankees game, a WNBA game between the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky, and seeing “The Lion King” on Broadway.

The experience provided the young men with a sense of normalcy and camaraderie amidst the aftermath of their shared tragedy. Moses Auerbach highlighted the importance of staying positive despite the challenges. “We are all from the same regional council,” he explained. “We all know people and lost people.”

Despite the pain and loss, the trip offered the players a chance to reconnect, bond over their love for basketball, and create new, positive memories. The reunion on the court was more than just about the game; it was a testament to their resilience.