Judaism has always left its constituency with an interesting morale dilemma. While we grow up proud of our heritage, appreciative of
our traditions, there is always some sort of inhibition when it comes to public displays of our culture and religion.
 

Growing up in a Hebrew speaking home, I remember vividly how I would be “embarrassed” when my mother would yell across the grocery store in Hebrew, not because I was being yelled at, growing up with an Israeli mother I became used to this type of public “affection,” but everybody would turn and look with a perplexed look on their face thinking “What language is she speaking in?”

I grew up having to explain over and over to my friends why I had a mezuzah on my front door, why I didn’t celebrate Christmas and why when I was thirteen years old I would be having a big party in honor of my transformation to manhood.

While these feelings are across the board, and I am sure that many of you had the same type of mixed emotions while growing up, loving your culture and traditions, yet at times, uneasy with the public display of your religion, it seems as if times and perception’s have begun to change…at least in Sacramento.

When the Sacramento Kings drafted Omri Casspi with the 23rd overall pick in this past summer’s NBA draft, many of us did not know
what to expect. Will he come to Sacramento? Will he play at all? Will people here even care?
 

Just over one month into the NBA season it seems as if we have many answers to the many questions we first had. Yes, he will come to Sacramento. Yes, he will play and yes, people definitely care.
 

Although the Sacramento Kings did once boast a healthy fan base, with the recent string of losing seasons, Arco Arena has been left empty. The Kings are without any marquee players and there are rumors swirling about the team relocating to a new city in the near future,
yet there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

With a promising start, which includes the first winning record since the 2006 season, Omri Casspi’s arrival in Sacramento seems to have come at just the right time. Fans are standing up, cheering for their ONLY professional sports team of the three major sports (Football, Baseball, and Basketball) and there seems to be some enthusiasm that has been re-injected into this city concerning its basketball
team. This phenomenon seems to be particularly true when it comes to the Jewish community.

While it is great to see the Kings be competitive and change their image from perennial doormat to a team capable of winning games both at home and on the road, there is a long way to go and many changes are still needed. However, the reach that Casspi’s arrival
has afforded us stretches well beyond the bounce of an orange ball or the height of a ten foot backboard.

Casspi has made us feel proud to be Jewish, in a public setting. I find myself, with reservations still lurking in the back of my mind, standing up, in the company of over ten thousand people, waving Israeli flags, hoisting signs that read “King Omri” in Hebrew and even tolerating a loud, disturbing, yelp for my attention in Hebrew across the hallways.

It is not that Omri has changed the meaning of what it is to be Jewish and the constant struggle to become comfortable with ones Jewish identity. But, for the first few months of the NBA season, the arrival of Omri Casspi has made it more mainstream.

While before we might be “hesitant” to raise a sign in a crowded area with Hebrew draped across it, suddenly, we are proud. People, from all walks of life, are suddenly asking about life in Israel, details about our eating practices, what Mazel Tov means; and this is only in the context of the arena. I have heard stories of young community children, as young as five years old, watching Omri, screaming in joy
at the television, “Go Omri!!! I am Jewish too!!!!” The children are writing him letters, buying his jersey, and coming back to Shalom School after watching the previous night’s game to find out that all of their classmates watched too; Omri’s performance being “the” topic of discussion at schoolthat day, for both boys and girls.

I have met fully grown men, who as birthday gifts to each other, made the trip to Sacramento from as far away
as San Diego, solely to come see Omri play in person.

When Omri made his first home appearance on November 2nd, I found myself in awe as I heard, above the roar of the crowd; his father yell in Hebrew “that’s my boy!” While flashbacks to my childhood inevitably crept in, I was comforted as I looked around and was greeted by smiles and even pictures as the crowd realized it was Omri’s father.

The same evening, before the game even started, I was reminded again of the history of the event as over 250 community members packed into a private lounge on the top level of Arco Arena to hear Omri address the crowd and to participate with a
Q and A session with the fans in attendance.

While many fans, when in presence of their favorite player, ask for autographs and pictures, it was noteworthy that Omri’s fans had a different agenda. When given a moment to address him, they offered support, words of advice, and from one very little girl, even a hug.

This reminded me that to us, the Sacramento Jewish Community, Omri is more than a basketball player, more than athlete that
we pay to see perform on the court, we care what happens off the court too. He is one of us, part of our cultural background, part of our religion and now, part of our community.

So, as the season progresses, and your chance arises to come see this unique and truly talented young man perform at sport’s highest level, remember to support him, for he, unlike anyone else before him, is part of us and part of our community. And when he does well, remember to get on your feet, wave your Israeli flags, and yell-as loud as you possibly can, in Hebrew, and don’t worry, no one will be embarrassed.