When you think of Israeli sports, ice hockey doesn’t usually make the top 10. Nevertheless, on March 23, The Israel Elite Hockey League (IEHL) will be playing a showcase game between two of its franchise teams, Hockey Club Tel Aviv and the Jerusalem Capitals, at the UBS Arena (the New York Islanders’ home turf) in the USA Challenge Cup in New York.
The IEHL was established roughly five years ago by Tom Avery, 39, originally from Dallas, who played hockey in Finland for six years; and Marc Brunengraber, 53, a lawyer from New York.
Their home rink is the Blue Ice Arena in Ashdod. The practices and games are held for one month in the summer, where each team plays 10 games against other teams in the league. The teams are: Jerusalem Capitals, HC Tel Aviv, Holon Vipers, HC Netanya, Haifa Mariners, Herzliah Pioneers and the Ashdod Dolphins; Kfar Saba and Rishon will soon be joining the roster as well.
Half of the players, aged 20-40 are Israeli, among whom there are also Americans and Canadians who have made aliyah. The other 50% come from abroad, with 20% being non-Jewish. Last summer, 70 players came from eight different countries to participate. Thirty percent of the league is religious, and there are no games or practices on Shabbat.
This will be the league’s first time playing in North America. And half of the 18,000 arena sets have already been sold.
“This is going to be an historic night,” Avery said, “a red carpet event.” The night is a great opportunity for Israeli advocacy and is being sponsored by many organizations and PR initiatives. “This is going to be a one-of-a-kind sporting event. A great opportunity to bring everybody together”
Sol Feder, 21, originally from Boston, came to Israel in his gap year. He loves hockey and joined the IEHL playing for Tel Aviv. He hopes to have 30-40 people cheering him on in the stands at UBS. He is currently enrolled in his junior year at Yeshiva University, where he studies finance and also plays on their hockey team, the Yeshiva University Maccabees. “It’s so exciting to get the opportunity to play in such a professional facility, representing Israel in a sport you love,” he shared. Feder previously played with the IEHL in Finland and also did a showcase game in Israel. “I’ve had a lot of cool experiences,” he added.
Marc Brunengraber, the league’s co-founder, had wanted to play for Israel’s national hockey league in the 1990s but he didn’t, and he regretted it. So he became active on an international hockey forum on the Internet where he made lifelong friendships and became friendly with Avery.
When he was in his 40s, in 2013, he was asked to play as part of the Israeli team against MIT in a charity game. He’s since played in five international games as a goalie.
At the time, Brunengraber suggested that he and Avery form a hockey league independent of the Israel National League that would play in the summer (off-season), and also recruit non-Israeli players. They would use it for something bigger than just the game, as a vehicle for pro-Israel advocacy. He asked Avery how they could help hockey in Israel grow and be better and use it to promote Israel.
They ended up recruiting international players to play in the summer, which would improve the game of the Israeli players, get the Jewish players to have a deeper connection with Israel, and also combat BDS by showing both the Jews and non-Jews around the country, and letting them experience the beauty and truth of Israel.
Yuval Halpert, 24, originally from Ness Tziona, has also been with the IEHL since its inception. He is a professional athlete who spent seven years playing junior hockey in various American cities, and then played professional hockey in Holland, Poland and Finland, before returning to Israel. Today, aside from playing on IEHL’s Jerusalem team, he also plays for the Israel’s National Hockey Team, and the Israeli Hockey League. He also teaches hockey and CrossFit to kids. Halpert said, “Playing for the IEHL is an incredible experience. I wait for the month we train and play, all year.” Every year, the league is getting more and more exposure and Halpert says he’s made lifelong friends.
With so much dedication, team spirit, and national spirit, both on and off the ice, the IEHL game in March is sure to be exciting and groundbreaking. Here’s wishing the IEHL luck in meeting all their goals.
You can buy tickets or take advantage of sponsorship opportunities here:
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/30006193C97058BA
Email: [email protected]
Rosally Saltsman is a freelance writer, originally from Montreal, who lives in Israel. Come join her!
