School News Nationwide
Words of Bonds
May 2011

Greetings!

Coach Ted Gustus, Tal Brody and Bill Tingling

It is like the trap, of either a good or bad joke. What comes from riding in a car, and you are sitting in the middle of two former pro basketball players? Leg cramps and many stories.

Today, School News Nationwide/ “Words of Bonds” sponsor Bill Tingling invited Tal Brody, Israel’s Good will Ambassador, and Troy Bowers, former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, Community Relations & Field Marketing Specialist with the New York Knicks to share some of their ethical values with the Thelma J. Hamilton High School basketball PSAL 2011 champions. This high school is in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn New York. This school is one of the many schools in Brooklyn having difficulties when it comes to academics, athletics, and taking into account the need for balance with family, and staying in school late, just to get in at least one practice.

Bill Tingling, Gil Lanier (Isreal Consulate staff for Public Affairs) Troy Bowers, Tal Brody and The Thelma J. Hamilton High School Basketball Champions

Tal and Troy are on a mission to coach and encourage these talented Brooklyn high school basketball players. They took on a particularly challenging task, not of teaching these talented players the game of basketball, but the game of life.

Retired Coach Ted Gustus introduced Tal and Troy to the Thelma J. Hamilton fans and players. He then asked the many students sitting in the audience, and the players, how many African American NBA players came from Brownsville, the answer was spot on.

Coach Gustus remarked that many residents of Brownsville view this community as a predominantly Black American district, and sometimes makes the mistake that it has always been this way. He then asked, how many Jewish basketball players came out of Brooklyn, the answers were not that forward coming. Gustus then shared with the audience, those community basketball heroes such as Nat Holman, Sammy Kaplan,Barney Sedran, Nat Krinsky, Red Saracheck, Red Holzman, Red Auerbach and many more, were all Jewish basketball players. He went on to share with the audience the strong relationship that Black Americans and Jewish people have had, and due to this connection many doors in regards to basketball, were opened to Black Americans.

Thelma J. Hamilton High School Basketball Champions

Troy Bowers shared with these young talented players that he played overseas in Israel with Rishon Leizon and other European countries, and his goal is always to promote community and band together as one family. Troy said that the principles he used to achieve his goals, is to get at least one person to listen to his ideas, he can consider it as a success. Troy gave stories about what it takes to become a successfulbasketball player, and a person of unimpeachable Character. First to know oneself, to be teachable, and to know your strength and weakness. A player does not simply make it into the NBA because he is a talented player. There are many prominent players who never made it that far, whether it was by their own design, or by other means, the results is still the same.

Troy is also a motivational speaker for the younger players who are in and out of the NBA league. He was awarded the “Values of the Game” presentation by NBA Commissioner David Stern. Troy encourage the younger players the importance of knowing their roles on, and off the court whether it pertains to family or community. He also shared the importance of having a plan or goal, and sticking to them, whether to become a professional athlete, doctor, and electrician or just looking after your family. One should set goals because it is in your heart and not what anybody says. Troy said that this was one of his paramount concerns, because as he travels the world, he sees more followers than leaders.

Israel Goodwill Ambassador Tal Brody shared with the audience the importance of education, staying in school and the importance of working on your talent. “Today you have a lot more opportunities to play basketball, because we no-longer have one league, you now have Israel, and Europe. You can travel to these countries to pursue your dreams. He said that the irony of this is not lost on us as the other leagues, which are younger offers more than the NBA currently does.

Tal is Israel’s first modern-day sports hero. A University of Illinois All America player Brody joined the Maccabi-Tel Aviv team after leading his United States team to a gold medal in the Maccabiah Games. The New Jersey-born basketball star who later became an Israeli Citizen, was named Israel’s Sportsman of the Year after leading the Maccabi-Tel Aviv team to a second-place finish in the European CupBasketball Championships, and subsequently took Israel to its first Maccabiah Games basketball gold medal.

Now retired, Tal spends much of his time, visiting many Urban Communities coaching and giving basketball clinics reaching more than 300,000 youngsters with his “Let’s Play Ball” program.

He shared with the Thelma J. Hamilton players that when you are on the winning team – shake your opponent’s hand, cheer them up and try not to sound too excited. When you are on the losing team, respect the winners, shake their hand and do not try to find excuses for losing. After losing, practice more, improve your ability, and during the game – use all you got to win within the boundaries of the rules. Pay attention to the coach’s instructions and do not contradict his decisions. Learn the rules of the game inside out, collaborate with your team-mates and function as part of a team. If you made a mistake, do not look for someone else to blame, follow the judge’s decision without questioning it, and be disciplined at to get both criticism and praise.

Please Donate to the Words of Bonds Educational Project..… Visit this donation page

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/wordsofbonds

www.wordsofbonds.org

Location(s)
School News Nationwide/ Words of Bonds
1072 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, New York 11238
(718) 753-9920

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tal-Brody-Basketball-Clinic.html?soid=1104013504332&aid=XeufEe6lpxA.

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Dear Friends:

I personally thank you for taking the time to seriously ponder this challenge.. I look forward to signing our letter of deep appreciation to each of you, for your generous support. To you, and to all of our other friends throughout the world, please accept our most sincere thanks in advance, for your generous response.

Sally Frishberg, Holocaust Survivor

Board Member

Bill Tingling

Executive Director

School News Nationwide, Inc.

“Words of Bonds” project

Sally Frishberg, Holocaust Survivor & Educator

Sally is one of the “Words of Bonds” leading spoke person. Together with the with School News Nationwide, ”Words of Bonds” members have visited many schools, spoken to thousands of children that we must do whatever we can to stop hate crimes and instead embrace love and tolerance. For all her perky warmth and enthusiasm, Sally Frishberg was once unusually quiet. As a child in Poland during World War II, she and her family hid from the Nazis in the attic of a Catholic man’s barn. Fifteen people crowded into the small space, surviving on what little food the man brought. They never spoke lest someone find them; her father mouthed stories from the newspaper and the family read his lips.

Sally said that she refused to reveal the name of the man who hid them, keeping a promise she had made to him, until his widow granted her permission to do so in 1987. His name was Stanislaw Grocholski and may God bless his soul, Sally said, Three years after the Soviets liberated them in 1944, the family traveled by boat to the United States. Sally recalled, when she was on the boat traveling to America, a European Woman chided a 13- year old Ms. Frishberg for jumping into a bunk she wanted for herself.

“You dirty little Jew,” Ms. Frishberg remembers her saying. “If I had my way, you would have been dead.” Seeing the anguish on the young girl’s face, an African American matron lady of the ship,” as Ms. Frishberg called her, rocked her in her arms and comforter her.

“I suddenly realized that somebody cares,” she said, her voice surging with emotion. “She was a Black American, I was a European Jew, but there is, I think, this understanding of human need.”

“I learned that good people can do extraordinary things but we do not know who you good people are, so you are going to have to show signs of these extraordinary things” she told the students.

Arriving in the United States she could not speak a word of English. Sally learned English, became educated and earned her teaching degree. In 1958, Sally became a teacher and taught for years at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn New York and retired in 1991. Frishberg believes she was saved from the holocaust so she could help educate today’s generation about the world’s mistakes from the past.When asked if she thought the Holocaust could happen again, she said, “Tragedy could happen. Yes, it could. I want our young people to be alert, aware, eyes wide open, willing to act when necessary and do what is good for all of us.” That is why we have the “Words of Bonds” project Sally’s.

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When: Fri. March 28, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.
Who: Jay Sommer, Sally Frishberg and Louvinia Pointer
Where: Public School 56, 170 Gates Avenue in Brooklyn
Contact: Bill T at 718 230-7821 :: bill@wordsofbonds.com
On Friday March 28, 2008 Holocaust Survivors and Educators Jay Sommer, Sally Frishberg and Louvinia Pointer will be speaking at New York City Public School 56 in Brooklyn, New York, in support of the “Words of Bonds” project. The project is a Holocaust / Slavery documentary many New York City students are working on. They will be talking about the importance of education and sharing stories about the Holocaust. For biographies on the speakers, please read the following post.

It is said that if we fail to correct the past it is destined to repeat itself. So come and join us at Public School 56.

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