The fourth night of Chanukah, Tuesday night, December 27, was a balmy night for late December in New Jersey. But it was hot for the assembled varsity, junior varsity and middle school basketball teams from JEC/RTMA, as 40 players, three coaches and assembled parents of players from the three teams ranging from sixth grade to seniors in high school excitedly filed into Jerusalem Restaurant in Livingston for a Chanukah party for the basketball teams.

Sponsored and organized by the head coach of the varsity and junior varsity teams, and head of basketball at JEC/RTMA, Avi Borenstein, and with generous support from David Matthews, the new proprietor of the Jerusalem restaurant, whose son Joe is a starting player on the RTMA JV team, the three teams got together for a fun night of Chanukah festivities.

The evening started with lighting of the Chanukah candles by Coach Borenstein and, surprise, no speeches! The discussion was fun and intense among the players, ranging from JEC/RTMA team playoff possibilities, to LeBron and Steph, to the football Giants, to how good is Westbrook?, do the Knicks have serious playoff hopes? and the hottest subject of all, “Can I get a slice of pizza with the cheese in the crust?”