Israel Tennis and Education Centers and Jewish Federation of Greater Naples to host tennis exhibition

By Myra Benedikt, IAC Co-chair

Young tennis players and their coach from Israel will return to the Naples community on March 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. for an inspiring and fun exhibition event at Vineyards Country Club.

The Israel Tennis and Educations Centers (ITEC) is an Israeli nonprofit serving children across the country. In 1976, six visionaries from Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom realized their dream and opened one tennis center in Israel to provide a sense of normalcy for the children of Israel. Their vision was to bring the game of tennis to the masses, regardless of background, religion, ethnicity or physical ability, while providing the foundation to create champions in tennis and, most importantly, in life.

There are now 18 Israel Tennis and Education Centers throughout Israel, which serve Arab, Jewish and Christian children from disadvantaged regions in the country. The children go to their neighborhood tennis centers after school, not only to learn tennis but to learn life skills as well.

Israeli children gather after school for tennis practice.

For almost fi ve decades, ITEC has been laying the foundation for Israeli children’s future success through a unique mix of tennis, physical training, education, mentorship and social services. More than 7,000 children visit the centers each week and 20,000 are served throughout the year. Since its inception in 1976, over half-a-million children have found a second home at their local tennis center.

For so many children whose young lives have been marked by unimaginable hardship and adversity, the Israel Tennis & Education Centers is a beacon of hope.

Every year, a team of these kids from ITEC travels to the U.S. with their coach, where they visit communities across the country to exhibit their tennis skills and talk about how the ITEC program has made a positive impact on their lives.

Mika Dagan, from Ra’anana, was a finalist and the first Israeli female to play in Dubai, UAE’s Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge.

This year’s ITEC delegation will feature 19-year-old Mika Dagan, a top-ranked female tennis player in Israel and the first Israeli tennis player to receive an official invitation to participate in a ranking tournament in Dubai; Junior Celine Absawi,16, from Haifa, who plays in the “Living Together Program” in Haifa; and hard-hitting Yonatan Barak, 13, who plays in the “High Performance Program” in Ramat Hasharon complete the team.

Their stories and their tennis game will thrill and inspire you.

This year, as something new on the program, local pros, including Vineyard’s own Sal Proccaci, will join the Israeli players in a double’s exhibition.

Chairing this exhibition and fundraising event are Myra and Bill Benedikt, Katie and Harvey Cohen and Andy Mintz. This event is cosponsored by the Israel Advocacy Committee of Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.

Registration for this free event is coming soon!