3 minute read
Jewish athlete inspires teammates
By Rabbi Mendel Gordon
What inspires the Florida Gulf Coast University student athletes?
A Jew who is proud of who he is and expresses it with Torah and Mitzvos. At the year-end athletics event, our very own Nadav was chosen out of hundreds of FGCU athletes to receive the 'Most Inspirational Athlete award.' Why? For being dedicated to his Judaism!
When Nadav arrived at FGCU from Israel two years ago to join the soccer team, he was at a crossroads. He loved being Jewish and keeping mitzvos, but he loved playing soccer, and sometimes those two seem to contradict. Along with the early and strenuous training, demanding schedule of games and schoolwork, Nadav wasn’t sure where he would have time for his Judaism — praying in the morning, Shabbat on the weekends, kosher in a place like Fort Myers and how his teammates would react.
Keeping shabbat and kosher as an athlete also came with some fun stories. The team arrived famished late one night at a hotel in Tampa, and there was a kosher food package waiting for him organized by the local Chabad. Then, two days later in Kentucky, the Chabad rabbi showed up at the hotel with another food package. All his friends started asking, “who are you connected to that shows up with food wherever we go?”
Through two years of hard choices, Nadav held on strongly to his commitment to Judaism while maintaining demanding soccer commitments. His teammates and the other athletes were impressed by his commitment to Judaism, his joyful Jewish attitude and how he timed his busy schedule to pray every day. They were fascinated by the laws of shabbat and kosher. They saw him around campus with kippah and tzitzit.
Alongside his commitment to Judaism, Nadav remained a star sportsman on the soccer field starring in most of the games. As the end of year came around, it came time to nominate awards. Out of hundreds of athletes, they all chose Nadav as the most inspirational athlete. At the awards ceremony, his head coach gave a 30-minute speech about how impressed he was with Nadav and how much he learned from him for being a top athlete while staying true and strong to who he is. When we are proud of who we are and dedicate ourselves to Torah and mitzvot, the world around us will respect us for it.
Chabad services all Jewish students at FGCU and the surrounding colleges. For more information or to connect a student, reach out to Rabbi Mendel Gordon at 239-355-8481 or Rabbi@ chabadfgcu.com.
