(Courtesy of YABA) This year’s Yeshiva Alumni Basketball Association dinner will honor another star studded class on Thursday night, May 23, at Congregation Ahavath Torah, 240 Broad Ave., Englewood. The honorees include:
- Fortieth anniversary yeshiva basketball league championship team: JEC 1979.
- Mark (Witzy) Hoenig: MTA 1974.
- Robert (Rosey) Rosenbloom: MTA 1974.
- Harvey Sheff: HILI 1977.
- Stephen Ashear: Hillel (Deal) 1993.
- Benjamin Goldberg: Ramaz 2000.
- Teaneck’s own Ilana Sapadin Pomerantz: Frisch 2004.
Ilana Pomerantz was taught by her father how to play basketball. She became a local champ in her early years at basketball camps. At the Fairleigh Dickinson Camp she won the team tournament, the one-on-one tournament and the foul-shooting competition. At Mel Davis’ Summer Basketball Camp she was placed in the boys’ camp to appropriately challenge her. Pomerantz attended Frisch High School and was uniformly recognized as the best all-around player in the league and, by far, the best shooter. She primarily played the point guard position, playing her freshman year on the junior varsity team, which had the best overall record in the league. Pomerantz joined the varsity team for the last three years of high school, with her team winning the league championship against Ramaz in an exciting game.
At Stern College, Pomerants played her freshman year, and was recognized with several accolades by the conference including two Rookie Player of the Week certificates. It is clear that Pomerantz had the talent to continue to play the game at a high level. However, prioritizing her academic work and future family over the game, Pomerantz graduated with a master’s degree from the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education. She is proudly married to “the big guy,” 6’2” Etan Pomerantz, and together they are raising three beautiful daughters—Miri, Zissie and Avigyle—who are now ages 7, 6 and 4 years old.
