Proud Jew & New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Visits Yeshiva U Basketball Team
By: Fern Sidman
On Wednesday. February 23rd, Yeshiva University welcomed a very special visitor. Over the last few years, the Yeshiva University basketball team enjoyed an astounding winning streak and has dominated headlines in sports pages all over the country.
In a Wall Street Journal dated January 13, 2022, Yeshiva University president Ari Berman wrote: As 2021 came to an end, so did our Division III basketball team’s remarkable 50-game winning streak. The Yeshiva University Maccabees had not lost a game since Nov. 9, 2019, when they fell to Illinois Wesleyan on Dec. 30. The accomplishment still was notable enough for the National Basketball Association to tweet congratulations, and I’ve spent some time reflecting on what it all means.
He added: “Throughout history, the Jewish people have always been small in number. We’re often put on the defensive but find the ingenuity and inner strength to view setbacks as springboards. And we tend to set the bar high to drive future success.
That is why this team, the Maccabees, inspires so many. It’s not only that they win but how they win. They play with sportsmanship and selflessness. They rise early in the morning and practice late at night, fitting basketball into a daily regimen that includes a dual curriculum of academic and Torah studies. Against seemingly all odds, they set as their goal to win the National College Athletic Association championship. And they know that by playing for Yeshiva University, they represent not just a school but a people.”
On Wednesday, February 23rd, the YU Maccabees had a very special visitor for their game. New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, addressed the audience before the game. He spoke of his unwavering Jewish pride and his strong connection to his Jewish identity. In a jocular sense, he spoke of Hashem blessing His people abundantly throughout the course of history and how his heart swells with genuine nachas when a Jew wins a Nobel Prize, or makes an unprecedented discovery or achievement in science, medicine, the arts , etc. He did add that when it pertains to athleticism, the Divine blessings in this area are more than a bit scant.
He did say that he is exceptionally proud of the YU basketball team and is very excited about the possibility of YU star player, Ryan Turell stepping out on an NBA court and playing in the “Big League.”
In the 2021-2022 season, Turell who is a guard on the YU team was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week twice (11/30 and 12/14) and was selected to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America First Team (11/2). He was also named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List (1/15). and advanced to the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List (2/15).
Turell was also selected to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week twice (11/16 and 11/30) and was named the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Divisions II-III Player of the Week three times (12/7, 12/14, and 12/21). He was also named the Skyline Conference Player of the Week four times (11/16, 11/29, 12/6, and 12/13) and earned a spot on the Skyline Conference Weekly Honor Roll five times (11/22, 2/1, 2/7, 2/14, and 2/21). He earned Divisions II-III Honorable Mention accolades from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association three times (2/1, 2/8, and 2/15).
