by Stop Mike Lupica on July 29 at 12:19AM
It started two years ago for Jordan Farmar, during his rookie season. He was asked to participate in the fifth annual "Play for Peace" clinic in Maine. This is a clinic that has been organized by super agent Art Tellum (a board member of Seeds for Peace) for years.
The clinic generally features that year's big rookies, including some that Tellum himself represents For example, this year's clinic (the seventh annual) includes Derrick Rose, Robin and Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook and DJ Augustin, and feature 160 Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, and American youth.
The 2003 clinic (the second one) featured Carlos Boozer, TJ Ford, and the Collins brothers, among other young NBAers.
"Play for Peace" brings teens in from the Middle East, to help them "learn cooperation through team sports". It has been doing work in this area for over 15 years, since 1993. They also work in other parts of the world, including South Asia, bringing Indian and Pakistani youth together, and in Africa.
In 2006, Jordan Farmar appeared along with LaMarcus Aldridge, JJ Redick, Brian Scalabrine, and Etan Thomas at the camp.
Jordan was so inspired that this year, he decided to throw his own clinic for Middle Eastern teens. Only he didn't bring the teens here to play in Maine; instead, he is traveling to Israel, to hold the clinic in person for Israeli and Palestinian teens. He is getting some funding for this clinic partially from the Peres Center for Peace (Shimon Peres' foundation).
Jordan's mixed background certainly helps in this case. He has a white mother, and a black father who was a minor league pitcher. His stepfather is an Israeli immigrant. Jordan himself is not a practicing Jew, but having been raised in a Jewish home he identifies and respects Jewish culture.
"I am a Jew," Farmar says, "and even though I don't define myself as a believing Jew..."
The camp takes place August 4th through 11th in Israel.
This is a change in Farmar's perspective regarding Israel. Three years ago, before the draft, when questioned about his Jewish background (as he was often), Jordan tried to downplay the connection to Israel:
"I visited Israel a couple of times," he says. "The first time I was too small to remember. The second time I stayed three weeks. I hiked all over the country; I liked the beaches in Eilat and Tel Aviv, and all the historic places. I had a great time, but it is hard to say I developed a special connection to the country."
This is all part of the work of his new Jordan Farmar Foundation, "which supports charitable programs that build value, develop character, create opportunities, foster positive attitudes, with an emphasis on youth programs in Southern California.
He's had quite a busy summer getting the foundation up and running. Aside from the trip to Israel next week, he's been to the Mattel Children's Hospital of UCLA. He's a regular visitor, too:
"I've been working with the Mattel Children's Hospital all year long, ever Sunday game I brought a child and their family out. They come, hang out before the game, watch us warm up, get to watch the game with their family, and then hang out with me after."
That most recent visit was on Tuesday, July 22nd. On the Saturday before that (July 19th), he was involved in the Central Los Angeles Day of Service (CommUNITY) program, spending the day at the Casa Libre Youth Shelter. And he was in Seoul, South Korea, in early July, working with the NBA Madness program, signing autographs and speaking with crowds in Korea. And he found time in July for one more activity: introducing Barack Obama at a major fundraising event.
It is quite hard to find many people that involved in charitable events in any given month, so SML salutes Farmar on his charitable work!
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The clinic generally features that year's big rookies, including some that Tellum himself represents For example, this year's clinic (the seventh annual) includes Derrick Rose, Robin and Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook and DJ Augustin, and feature 160 Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, and American youth.
The 2003 clinic (the second one) featured Carlos Boozer, TJ Ford, and the Collins brothers, among other young NBAers.
"Play for Peace" brings teens in from the Middle East, to help them "learn cooperation through team sports". It has been doing work in this area for over 15 years, since 1993. They also work in other parts of the world, including South Asia, bringing Indian and Pakistani youth together, and in Africa.
In 2006, Jordan Farmar appeared along with LaMarcus Aldridge, JJ Redick, Brian Scalabrine, and Etan Thomas at the camp.
Jordan was so inspired that this year, he decided to throw his own clinic for Middle Eastern teens. Only he didn't bring the teens here to play in Maine; instead, he is traveling to Israel, to hold the clinic in person for Israeli and Palestinian teens. He is getting some funding for this clinic partially from the Peres Center for Peace (Shimon Peres' foundation).
Jordan's mixed background certainly helps in this case. He has a white mother, and a black father who was a minor league pitcher. His stepfather is an Israeli immigrant. Jordan himself is not a practicing Jew, but having been raised in a Jewish home he identifies and respects Jewish culture.
"I am a Jew," Farmar says, "and even though I don't define myself as a believing Jew..."
The camp takes place August 4th through 11th in Israel.
This is a change in Farmar's perspective regarding Israel. Three years ago, before the draft, when questioned about his Jewish background (as he was often), Jordan tried to downplay the connection to Israel:
"I visited Israel a couple of times," he says. "The first time I was too small to remember. The second time I stayed three weeks. I hiked all over the country; I liked the beaches in Eilat and Tel Aviv, and all the historic places. I had a great time, but it is hard to say I developed a special connection to the country."
This is all part of the work of his new Jordan Farmar Foundation, "which supports charitable programs that build value, develop character, create opportunities, foster positive attitudes, with an emphasis on youth programs in Southern California.
He's had quite a busy summer getting the foundation up and running. Aside from the trip to Israel next week, he's been to the Mattel Children's Hospital of UCLA. He's a regular visitor, too:
"I've been working with the Mattel Children's Hospital all year long, ever Sunday game I brought a child and their family out. They come, hang out before the game, watch us warm up, get to watch the game with their family, and then hang out with me after."
That most recent visit was on Tuesday, July 22nd. On the Saturday before that (July 19th), he was involved in the Central Los Angeles Day of Service (CommUNITY) program, spending the day at the Casa Libre Youth Shelter. And he was in Seoul, South Korea, in early July, working with the NBA Madness program, signing autographs and speaking with crowds in Korea. And he found time in July for one more activity: introducing Barack Obama at a major fundraising event.
It is quite hard to find many people that involved in charitable events in any given month, so SML salutes Farmar on his charitable work!
Leave a comment
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