At 75, Tal Brody is as engaging as he was as “Israel’s Hero,” when he helped his basketball team defeat the Russian CSKA team in 1977 by a score of 91-79. At that historic game, played in a small stadium in Belgium, the seats were filled with 500 spectators, “498 euphoric Israelis and two despondent KGB agents.” From this victory, the majesty of the Israeli Maccabi Basketball Team was born, and still flourishes today. During an interview following this historic game, an ecstatic Brody declared, in a now-iconic statement, “We are on the map,” which he later expanded with, “and we are staying on the map, not only in sports but in everything.”
In 2014 Brody was instrumental in the production of the acclaimed documentary “On the Map,” produced by Nancy Spielberg, which was voted the most popular film at Jewish Film Festivals worldwide over 15 times.
After making aliyah 52 years ago, Brody continued playing for Maccabi Israel. Inspired by the internationally recognized basketball team, Israel now boasts teams in almost every sport that competes in international sporting events. From the early days when the Maccabi games were represented by 1250 players from 25 countries, the numbers have grown to 10,000 athletes from 80 countries.
Brody, currently the Goodwill Ambassador of Israel, addressed the members of the Israeli American Council (IAC) event at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades last week. These days, Brody travels the world, to college campuses, synagogues, JCCs, Jewish schools and even Christian venues, to bring the message of Israel’s accomplishments to date and plans for its future. In his talks, he debunks the claims of the BDS movement, especially on college campuses where misinformation is playing havoc with the Jewish student populations.
In Brody’s presentation, he asserted that Israel is “doing very well” economically and militarily, having one of the strongest military forces in the world. It is American Jewry that needs the bolstering and the confidence to stand up to the many challenges it is facing through the uptick in verbal and physical attacks. That is why Brody, a proud Jew who combines the cultures of his native America with his beloved adopted country of Israel, is a perfect representative.
Brody’s message was aimed primarily at the young people in the audience. He spoke passionately about three crossroads in his life that challenged him greatly and at which points he learned to use both his “heart and mind” in making his life-changing decisions.
The first occurred while playing for the NBA after being drafted from the noteworthy University of Illinois team. He was invited to take part in the seventh Maccabi Games in Israel in 1965. While playing in Tel Aviv, he saw numbers on the arm of a man who had approached him asking that he join the Maccabi team permanently. Growing up in Trenton, New Jersey, Brody had watched WWII movies but had never met an actual survivor. However, his home had always been openly Zionist as his father and grandfather had worked as engineers on the first electric station in Nahariya in the 1920s. In 1965, NBA players were earning $12,500 a year. If he remained in Israel, his salary would be a third of that. But stay he did, despite the primitive playing fields and locker rooms. He recalled going to games by Egged bus and outdoor games beinginterrupted by rain and sandstorms.
His second challenge came in 1968 when he received a draft notice from the U.S. Army. Using “heart and mind,” he decided to fulfill his responsibility to his native U.S. and served for two years in the U.S. military. On Pesach of the second year, he received a letter from none other than Moshe Dayan, a rabid Maccabi fan, beseeching him to return to Israel. And so he did.
His third challenge occurred when he was due to play in a major international game in Yugoslavia. He received word that his father had suffered a heart attack in Trenton. He flew back to be at his father’s bedside, forfeiting the game. However, as his father’s condition improved, the doctor gave him the green light to return to the game. Somehow, without a ticket, he was able to board the plane to Belgrade and lead his team to victory.
Brody is most proud of the family he has established, now including 10 grandchildren residing in Kfar Saba, Herzliah, Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan. His grandsons and granddaughters play many sports in addition to basketball.
In May of 2016, the IAC New Jersey Regional Office partnered with the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. Together they identify opportunities that expand the programs and services offered currently and identify opportunities for implementing new programs. Their current programs include those geared to imbuing younger children with Israeli culture and strengthening their Hebrew skills. For teens and college students they offer programs in leadership. Their IAC Media Program has the goal of building an organized online community of pro-Israel activists.
To learn more about New Jersey’s IAC Program contact Noa Raab, regional director, New Jersey, at 201-293-7784 or visit [email protected].
By Pearl Markovitz
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