[
THE SCOOP]
worldlacrosse2014.com A Vision in Tel Aviv
Israeli lacrosse offers opportunity for American Jews to connect with homeland By Matt DaSilva
the first-ever Israeli men’s national team, just one was actually born in Israel. And even he grew up in the U.S. But before you discard
S
Israel as a team of American ringers — seeing names like Ben Smith (Harvard), Casey Cittadino (Towson/Charlotte Hounds), Lee Coppersmith (Johns Hopkins), Ari Sussman (Dartmouth) and Adam Crystal (Drexel) on the roster — consider that 19 of the 46 players have moved or will move to the Middle East. And consider that for many
of them, that process comes with compulsory service in the Israeli military and mastery of the Hebrew language. And that Neiss, a Long Island native who previously worked
cott Neiss knows how it looks. Of the 46 players vying for spots on
for the NLL and U.S. Indoor Lacrosse, founded the Israel Lacrosse Association just four years ago after visiting the country on a Birthright trip. “If you’re Jewish, you’re
Israeli,” Neiss said. “We’re a country of immigrants. We want the world’s Jewish population to be connected to this country. If we could use lacrosse as a platform, that’s a good thing.” Try telling Reuven Dressler
he’s not Israeli. Dressler, a 41-year-old
family medicine practitioner from Ma’ale Adumim, grew up in Philadelphia. He was a goalie for the 1989 state champion Penn Charter boys’ team and played at Yale. Dressler moved to Israel
seven years ago to start a family practice. He served as a doctor in the Israel Defense Forces en route to citizenship. “This is our homeland,” Dressler said. “Not all Jews live here, but this is our home.” Dressler only recently joined
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US Lacrosse will host the 2014 FIL Men’s World Championship (July 10-19) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver. Tickets are on sale now at
WorldLacrosse2014.com.
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Bring your team to the World Festivals for boys’ youth teams beginning at age U11 and running up through men’s master’s teams at 60 and over. Visit
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34 LACROSSE MAGAZINE March 2014 >>
the ILA and got back in the cage for the first time in 20 years. “I feel like one of those cavemen that’s been frozen on ice and thawed,” he said. Dressler said lacrosse could
be the “common denominator” for Jewish Americans looking to reconnect with Israel. Try telling Michael Pfeffer
he’s not Israeli. Pfeffer, a Baltimore
native who played lacrosse at Park (Md.) School and for Syracuse’s club team, immigrated to Israel after college and served for three years as an IDF paratrooper.
“I have a lot of family in
Israel on my dad’s side. We used to vacation here,” Pfeffer said. “I actually took my first steps here [as a toddler].” Pfeffer always felt Israeli. His
father was born in the U.S. but grew up in Jerusalem, serving in the Israeli army and meeting Pfeffer’s mother through an exchange program. Pfeffer enlisted in the IDF
in 2008 and commanded a counter-terrorism training unit. After three years, he decided to make aliyah, a process requiring immigrants to get adjusted to Israel, its language and culture before they are able to live there permanently. One day, he saw a flyer for the first lacrosse game in Israel, organized by Neiss in 2011. Pfeffer found Neiss on Facebook. An attackman, he played for the Israeli team that finished in eighth place at the 2012 European Championships. He wants “to make sure people here are committed not just to Israel lacrosse, but also to being a part of this culture.” Try telling Matthew Flapan
he’s not Israeli. Flapan, a Farmingdale (N.Y.)
native and goalie, graduated high school in 2008. He did a
Israeli lacrosse player Michael Pfeffer spent three years in the Israel Defense Forces.
five-month program in Israel at a school for children from impoverished neighborhoods. “I fell in love with the
country,” Flapan said. Flapan followed the same
path as Dressler and Pfeffer, serving in the Israeli military. “It’s different than the American military experience,” said Flapan, who now works on a farm in central Israel. “Here, you’re protecting your borders. I’m not getting shipped away. You understand the daily risk posed by surrounding countries.” The ILA has developed relationships with five schools in Ashkelon (south of Tel Aviv) and now boasts more than 200 youth lacrosse players. “We want to make this
place a lax factory,” Neiss said, adding that the ILA plans to fund scholarships to send players to the U.S. as part of a lacrosse exchange program. “We envision sooner or later you’ll have homegrown Israeli kids in the NCAA ranks.” And perhaps one
day, winning FIL world championships. LM
A Publication of US Lacrosse
©ISRAEL LACROSSE ASSOCIATION
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