This article was provided by Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School.
Held at Beth Tfiloh from Nov. 29-Dec. 2, the 35th annual Weiner Family Tournament filled the school hallways with exhilaration and zeal.
After everything that the Jewish people have endured since October 7th, the tournament was a welcome event that offered many moments of connection, healthy competition, and chances to make new friendships – for athletes, for BT families, and for faculty and staff. The Mae Boyar High School in Jerusalem was unable to participate this year due to the war in Israel but were included in spirit as their school’s name was intentionally left on the commemorative sweatshirts and programming materials.
The Weiner Family Tournament is one of the premier Jewish high school basketball tournaments in the United States for both boys and girls, taking place at Beth Tfiloh each fall. Attracting teams from all over North America and Israel, this year’s visiting participants were the Akiba Yavneh Academy of Dallas, Texas, the Golda Och Academy of West Orange, New Jersey, Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, Ontario, and the Abraham Joshua Heschel School of New York City.
Students come together for a highly competitive basketball tournament, to make friends, to experience a fun-filled Shabbat retreat with the incredible BT community, and to bond with other Jewish athletes. The four-day tournament, filled with its contagious energy, is an all-school experience. Each division, from PreSchool through High School, has an opportunity to watch and cheer during at least one game during the school day.
Hospitality is a Jewish value, and BT families open their homes to visiting students and coaches, often forming enduring friendships with frequent requests from students to board with the same host families year after year. BT students find ways to participate, even if they aren’t athletes. Student-organized social media with game updates and posts, pre-game band participation, a student-led live-stream with play-by-play commentary, fan support with chants and cheers, and colorful posters line the halls and represent each team creating a festive atmosphere. The bleachers and gyms are filled to capacity with visiting families, alumni, teachers and staff, members of the BT community, and even prospective BT families. The tournament week truly showcases the best of Beth Tfiloh.
When we say that lifelong friendships are made at the Weiner Tournament, we really mean it. Jeremy Friedman (Beth Tfiloh, ’16) met his current roommate, Zach Epstein (Yavneh, ’17) while playing in the tournament in 2014. According to Jeremy, who played in the tournament for two consecutive years, “Growing up at Beth Tfiloh, Weiner Tournament was the best time of the year. We looked forward to seeing our friends, spending Shabbat together, and being a part of an exhilarating and competitive atmosphere. It allowed us to meet Jewish students and players from around the country and even Israel. You form friendships with so many people. Almost eight years later, I can say with confidence that Weiner Tournament was not only the highlight of our season, but it has helped shape my Jewish identity. Singing, dancing, praying, and hanging out with 100-plus Jewish teenagers is what it’s all about. It’s bigger than basketball.”
Zach, who participated in three tournaments, recalls, “Weiner was always my favorite week of the year in high school. Continuous basketball games, bonding with my teammates, meeting other high school teens, and a great Shabbat really combined for a phenomenal experience. I cherished returning to the BT community each year and will never forget the intense roar of the crowd inside the Hurwitz Gym on Saturday nights – particularly in 2016 when we won our first Weiner championship my senior year.”
Both Jeremy and Zach attended the University of Maryland and played in the National Hillel Basketball Tournament, yet only bumped into one another when they both showed up for a Shabbat afternoon football game with 15-20 other young Jewish professionals. As he walked onto the field, Jeremy recognized Zach and they reconnected over their shared tournament experience and became friends. After various roommates moved out, they put their Warrior/Bulldog rivalry aside and teamed up as roommates, living in the downtown D.C. area.
For the last two years, Jeremy has been working in cybersecurity and recently started graduate school at Georgetown University. Zach works as a technology consultant. Both appreciate the vibrant young, Jewish professional scene in D.C. and the strong Jewish community that resides there. They host Shabbat dinners for other young professionals and play multiple sports in their spare time.
When asked what advice they might offer to future tournament athletes, they hope students will embrace the jam-packed schedule and become friends with their opponents. They encourage visiting athletes to hang out in the living room with their host families and get to know them, saying how the BT community is special and particularly shines on Shabbat so they should enjoy the break from the court and have some fun! They echoed how this tournament is truly a unique experience to have the chance to play in a Jewish basketball tournament of this caliber. Jeremy urged them to “Play hard, but also remember that you’re there for the whole experience.”
To learn more about Beth Tfiloh, visit bethtfiloh.com/school
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