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JON MARKS | Special to the JE
D on’t expect Michael Moshkovitz to become the eighth native
Israeli to make it to the NBA.

No, he said he doesn’t intend to follow the trail blazed by Omri
Casspi, Gal Mekel and his former national team teammate and current
Washington Wizard forward Deni Avdija, among others.

The 24-year-old University of Pennsylvania senior from Jerusalem,
who’s spent the last two seasons playing for Steve Donahue’s Quakers,
said his hoops career may be well nearing its end.

“This is my senior year, my last year here, and the way I feel right
now, it’s probably the last year I play basketball,” said the 6-foot, 7-inch
Moshkovitz, who started 16 games last season, averaging 5.1 points and
4.7 rebounds but has seen his playing time greatly diminished this year.

“I feel like I want to focus on something else. For now, I want to stay here
(in the U.S.), get a job and some experience. I’m considering New York
and the West Coast. San Francisco might be a good place.”
Not that he has any complaints about Philadelphia, other than he
hasn’t gotten out to as many places as he’d like, including the Weitzman
National Museum of American Jewish History. But considering the road
that got him here — being “recruited” out of Kankakee (Illinois) Junior
College via Zoom amid the pandemic — the soft-spoken “Mosh” as his
teammates call him, has enjoyed the experience.

10 DECEMBER 15, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
That’s because it would’ve been easy to
simply give up and stay home.

“The biggest reason why Israelis don’t
go to schools in the U.S. is because you
have to do your army service first,”
explained Moshkovitz, who’s averaging
just 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds for the
Quakers. “I was in for two years, eight
months which is required time for males.

I was in a special program for athletes
because I played ball. I was a weight room
instructor on a base in Jerusalem, right
near my house.”
He completed his service in April 2019,
too late to apply to Division I schools.

“I had a friend who I used to play
with who went to community college at
Kankakee,” Moshkovitz said.” “I played
one year there and lived with my friend
and another Israeli. That was my first
time in the U.S. Kankakee was such a
different place. Everything was different
-- the people, the food, the stores. I had a
really tough time, and I don’t think I met
a single Jewish person.”
During the season, Moshkovitz started
considering Division I schools, empha-
sizing some in the Ivy League. He was
leaning toward Columbia University
when the pandemic hit, at which point
school was canceled and he headed home.

“There was a complete lockdown in
Israel,” said Michael (pronounced Mik-
hail) — who once met Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the
Cheltenham High School grad, after his
Israeli Youth team won gold at the 2017
European Championships. “You couldn’t
leave your house for more than a 100-
meter radius. I don’t think I touched a
basketball for a month. I tried talking to
schools, but it got much harder because
of the time difference. At one point, I
gave up on the idea and signed up for
Hebrew University.

“But then I talked with my mom
(Ayelet), and we decided to give it one last
try. I texted the head coach at Columbia.

He never replied. She emailed the assis-
tant at Penn, Coach (Nat) Graham. He
replied and said, ‘We’d like to have a
Zoom call with you.’ That was the first
time I spoke with Coach Donahue.”
Donahue told Moshkovitz that he’d
seen tapes of all his games and wanted
him to come to Penn. But when the Ivies
canceled all sports in 2020, he remained
home, taking classes virtually. Not until
well into 2021 did Moshkovitz finally
arrive. The transition was difficult.

“Last year was my first year play-
ing, and it started pretty rough,” said
Moshkovitz, the second oldest among
two brothers and a sister. “It took me a
while to adjust, I think, because of the
combination of being rusty and the dif-
ference in the game from community
college. “The second half was much, much
better. I gained some confidence and,
because of some injuries, I had to start. I
think with our offense my game fits that
position. What I do best is pass. I can
rebound, play good defense and score
when we need it.”
Yet Moshkovitz has come off the bench
this season, though Donahue insists he
hasn’t lost confidence in him.

“I think the role for him has changed
— sometimes from game-to-game,”
said Donahue, who played Moshkovitz
a season-low two minutes in the Dec. 10
77-57 win over Temple. “The thing about
Michael is he’s so versatile.

“He can play against bigger guys, yet
can guard quicker, smaller guys. He was
the No. 1 assist-turnover ratio guy in the
Ivies last year. He can really pass. He’s
very smart, has a high IQ and is a tough
defender who does all the little things.”
He’s also someone who won’t question
his coach’s decisions.

“I don’t think starting or not is the
most important thing,” said Moshkovitz,
who’s majoring in cognitive science and
computer science and wants to be a com-
puter engineer. “I feel my thing with the
team now is to help whenever I can. I
respect every decision and if it means
playing less I’ll do my best when I get the
chance.” As for being a student on campus
with a large Jewish community, that was
unexpected. “I was surprised to find out how big
the Jewish community was at Penn,”
said Mosh, who attends Hillel meetings
and goes to Shabbat services when his
schedule permits. “I’ve made some good
friends, which is nice. Having this Jewish
community here is amazing. I can talk
about things related to my life in Israel
and people understand.” JE
Jon Marks is a freelance writer.

Photo by Jon Marks
Michael Moshkovitz



nation / world
Volodymyr Zelensky Named Time’s ‘Person of the Year’
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Jewish president of Ukraine, was named Time’s “per-
son of the year” on Dec. 7 for galvanizing “the world in a way we haven’t seen in
decades,” in the words of the magazine’s editor-in-chief, JTA.org reported.

“From his first 40-second Instagram post on Feb. 25 — showing that his
Cabinet and civil society were intact and in place — to daily speeches delivered
remotely to the likes of houses of Parliament, the World Bank, and the Grammy
Awards, Ukraine’s President was everywhere,” Edward Felsenthal wrote in an
article explaining the choice. “His information offensive shifted the geopolitical
weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe.”
Zelensky is only the third Jew to claim the honor in the magazine’s almost 100
years of awarding it. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg earned it in 2010, and
former Treasury Secretary Ben Bernanke won it in 2009.

This Chanukah,
give the gift of life.

Israel Condemns Netflix Movie About 1948 War of
Independence Israel’s government has lashed out at Netflix over a new Jordanian movie that
they say disparages the country’s military and their actions in the War of 1948
that led to Israel’s independence, JTA.org reported.

“Farha,” Jordan’s entry into the Academy Awards’ best international feature
race, is a historical drama about the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe,” the Palestinian
term for the events that led to the founding of the state of Israel. In the film, a
Palestinian teenager locked in a storage room witnesses a family being slaughtered
by the Israel Defense Forces. Two small children and a baby are among the victims.

The movie debuted on Netflix on Dec. 1, and Al Saraya Theatre, a theater
in Jaffa popular among Arab Israelis, planned to screen it. Its director, Darin
Sallam, has said she based the film off twice-removed real-life testimony from a
Palestinian refugee of 1948 who ended up in Syria.

But Israel has attacked the film and its producers over what the government
says is an unfair portrayal of the IDF.

“To me, it is ridiculous that Netflix chose to release a film whose entire pur-
pose is inciting mockery against IDF soldiers,” Israeli Finance Minister Avidgor
Lieberman said.

USDA Launches Webpage Listing Kosher Foods Available to
Communities in Need
After a year of advocating, The Jewish Federations of North America said it
welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s decision to create a webpage listing
kosher foods in The Emergency Food Assistance Program, JNS.org reported.

In September 2021, Jewish and Muslim members of Congress sent a letter to
the USDA urging the department to expand options for kosher and halal food.

The USDA subsequently invited faith institutions to discuss the dietary needs of
their communities.

Beginning in January, the USDA will increase the available kosher food prod-
ucts under its TEFAP program by 50%.

TEFAP, a federal program providing surplus food to food banks, recently
launched a new website that lists kosher items and gives guidance and informa-
tion on kashrut guidelines.

Israel’s PM, MKs, Ministers, President to Get 15% Raises
Come January, the salaries of key Israeli government officials, including the pres-
ident, prime minister, ministers and members of Knesset, are expected to rise by
up to 15%, as a wage freeze imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak expires at
the end of December, JNS.org reported.

The pay increases will also apply to judges. Supreme Court President Esther
Hayut will see her monthly salary increase from about $30,000 to about $35,000.

President Isaac Herzog’s monthly salary will rise from around $19,000 to
roughly $22,000.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid earns about $16,500 a month, while the incoming
prime minister, Likud chief Benjamin Netanyahu, will make around $19,000. JE
There are many ways to support Israel and its people this
holiday season, but none is more transformative than a gift
to Magen David Adom, Israel’s paramedic and Red Cross
service. Your gift to MDA isn’t just changing lives — it’s
literally saving them.

Donate today at afmda.org/support or call 866.632.2763.

afmda.org/support — Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
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