“For the children” – Aid Still Required Joins the Clippers and Maccabi Tel-Aviv for Migdal Ohr Benefit

In 2007, the New York Knicks and Maccabi Tel Aviv sold out Madison Square Garden in the first basketball benefit game for Migdal Ohr, the world’s largest orphanage located in Northern Israel.

As the benefit was such a success, Migdal Ohr created two pre-season exhibition games for 2009, one rematch in NYC and the other at the Los Angeles Staples Center with the LA Clippers facing the Maccabis.

Migdal Ohr Executive Director Robert Katz had heard about ASR’s work with the NBA players and offered ASR an invitation to participate.  Proceeds went to Migdal Ohr, with a percentage of sales going to help the work of other NGO’s such as ASR and LA’s Best, in addition to area synagogues.

Over 26,000 people total attended the two games.  Andrea and Hunter sat in the midst of a lively group of male middle-schoolers, who could barely stay in their seats.  When they weren’t hooting and hollering, the young men were texting the latest scoop.  Founder and president Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, alos the 2009 Caring Institute International Humanitarian of the Year, addressed the crowd at half-time.  A delicious post-game feast was held for VIPs and the athletes.  In addition to meeting basketball legend Rick Barry, Andrea was espcially happy to meet up with her old friend, talented marketer, Lauren Becker.

This West Coast game went off without a hitch, though the same could not be said about the game at the Garden, where Maccabi coach, Pini Gershon, had to be removed from the game over a heated disagreement with a referee.  We were glad to see him more at ease here in LA!