Ziontours Cadets Play Boston Teens in Baseball Exhibition Game

Jerusalem baseball teenagers from the Israel Association of Baseball hosted a visiting team from Boston just a few days before the onset of Pesach at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem.

The visitors, here in Israel participating in an annual 8th grade class trip from the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston (of Newton, MA) trounced the Ziontours Cadets in a short, 4-inning game with a score of 4-0.

Strong, consistent pitching by Boston’s Sam Forman mainly accounted for the shutout, crediting 12 strikeouts to Forman. Ziontours couldn’t muster any offense against their opponent’s overpowering pitching, resulting in this no-hitter. Only 2 walks granted by Forman allowed Boaz Fraiman and Aaron Dov Goldhar to reach base. Two field errors by Boston also allowed Elisha Silberklang and Tzvi Render to reach 1st. Render managed to get within scoring position by stealing 2nd, only to be left on base by further strikeouts.

Boston’s ability to get on base against Ziontours’ pitcher Fraiman allowed them to chalk up

4 runs. Singles by Joel Neuberger, Sam Levenfeld, Sam Doernberg, and a ground-rule double by Brad Baskir demonstrated Boston’s hitting ability. Josh Podrid and Baskir also managed to get to 1st on walks. RBI’s by Jeremy Grinberg, Forman, and Neuberger put Boston solidly on the scoreboard, with Levenfeld’s scoring from his single accounting for the other run for Boston.

The game was organized by IAB’s Jerusalem Regional Director, Ellie Render, after meeting Schechter’s Head of School , Arnold Zar-Kessler, who is in Israel this year on a sabbatical. Both agreed that a local baseball “encounter” would benefit both the Israeli and Boston players and would provide fun and memorable experience for all involved. The other Boston teens on the trip, of course, came out and cheered on their classmates. The Boston kids, even while touring the sites of Israel, were getting excited as the day of the game approached.

Render commented, “We were looking for an opportunity for one of our local IAB teams to face an American teen team in the same age bracket. I also thought, as did their school principal, that the Boston kids would love to pack their gloves and have a chance to play some baseball while here in Israel. The IAB hopes that these kids will act as goodwill ambassadors for us back in the US, as they recount their experience playing baseball in Israel.”

Baskir, the co-captain of the Boston squad, was impressed by his opponents’ play. Said Baskir, “They really know the mechanics and play the game well. It was a moving experience to be able to participate in America’s pastime and to represent our country halfway across the globe.”

Ziontours player, Elisha Silberklang, said after the game, “In spite of Boston’s pitcher, who had a hot fastball and a mean slider, the teams were evenly matched, which made me proud of my team.” Silberklang enjoyed being part of the game, played in good spirit, and he would welcome more opportunities to play similar American school teams who are visiting Israel.

Ellie Render’s selection of the Ziontours Cadet team to be the local IAB competitor in this face-off was especially due to Yedidya Fraiman’s being the Ziontours head coach. Fraiman himself is a former Bostonian.