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| Josh Wasserman (Photo via Israel Hayom) |
A teen decided to do something big with money he received at his bar mitzvah, according to a reports in Israel Hayom.
When New York native Josh Wasserman received a good sum of money for his bar mitzvah, he decided to use it in a special way. His money helped launch a basketball team for Ethiopian immigrant children in the Israeli city of Safed, where they live today in absorption center.
As part of the initiative, a basketball court in the absorption center was renovated, each player was given a uniform, and over the next year, the basketball team will also have advanced training for free by a certified trainer.
Wasserman, who plays basketball, decided to donate the money from his father, who has just returned from a trip to Israel as part of the delegation of the New York Jewish Appeal. He spoke of the harsh conditions of Ethiopian children living in the absorption center.
His two brothers and his sister joined the initiative and donated their personal savings as well.
Josh plays basketball with a number of teams in New York, while his father, David, played basketball for years.
"I was looking for a way to do something special and meaningful with my bar mitzvah funds. Since my family and I are passionate about the sport of basketball, I was pleased to find a way to allow children to experience the sport. Israelis, we love you so much," Josh said. "I'm so lucky that I am able to give children in Safed the opportunity to play competitive basketball in a real court with their own coach," he also said.