FOR the first time in Colorado history, the state athletic association rescheduled a high school basketball game to accommodate Jewish athletes on Shabbat.
The Denver Jewish Day School Tigers, which beat Community Christian on Thursday, Feb. 25, qualified for the District 8 1A finals the first time the team has advanced this far in postseason play.
But the Tigers next contest, against Shining Mountain Waldorf, was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Feb. 26 Shabbat.
When a similar situation arose in 2008, the Colorado High School Athletic Association refused to call a time out for the Jewish Sabbath.
This year, CHSAA slam-dunked the issue in record time to everyones satisfaction.
The Feb. 26 game was moved to 8 p.m., after the conclusion of Shabbat.
Although the Tigers lost to Shining Mountain, coming up short with just seconds remaining in the game, their playoff status was secure.
Their first regional face-off, against Ouray High School, was set to take place on Thursday, March 3, at Eagle Valley High School.
It was more about getting to this point than anything else, Coach Michael Foonberg told the Intermountain Jewish News. And for the first time in our history, we made it.
Weve been knocking on the door for last few years. Our players are really good, but weve come up short a point or two every year.
The Tigers got over the hump Feb. 24, when they defeated Community Christian, which was favored to win.
If the Tigers banish Ouray, they will proceed to the state tournament.
For me, no matter what happens, all our hard work has paid off, Foonberg said. I appreciate the support of the team members and their parents, who had to spend so much time away from each other to reach this goal.
IN 2008, when the Tigers were a game away from qualifying for District 8 playoffs, CHSAA refused to reschedule the Shabbat game to another day or delay the teams time slot until after its conclusion.
Ensuing negotiations between the Jewish day school (whose players never compete on Shabbat) and CHSAA culminated in new regulations benefiting Denver JDS.
By May of 2008, when the schools varsity baseball team qualified for the Colorado State Championship Tournament, CHSAA rearranged the schedule to accommodate the schools Shabbat observance.
We have a great relationship with CHSAA now, Avi Halzel, Denver JDS CEO and president, told the IJN. Its very refreshing and exciting.
Bert Borgmann, now CHSAAs assistant commissioner, agrees.
Its ancient history, Borgmann said of the controversy. After all of the hullabaloo, we kind of worked our way through things. It was really just a matter of education.
Borgmann feels the most important piece now is the willingness of member schools to adapt to Denver JDS needs.
When we alerted teams in IA about potential rescheduling if Denver JDS qualified, no one batted an eye. Not one school. They simply agreed and immediately changed their schedules. Theyve done it for us.
District 1, the Tigers division, is hosting this years regionals.
They knew five weeks ago that it was very possible that Denver JDS might qualify, Borgmann said, and no one objected to playing a Thursday afternoon game if necessary.
If the Tigers progress deeper into the state tournament, which will be held in the northeast corner of the state, Halzel said that CHSAA will accommodate our needs all the way through the process.
DESPITE the dazzling hoop magic displayed by Dolph Schayes and Omri Casspi or the baseball wizardry of Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax, athletic Jews dont fit the classic stereotype.
Judaism traditionally emphasizes scholastics over muscle; the mind over matter.
Josh Lake, athletic director at Denver JDS, begs to differ.
I was watching the Tigers play against Shining Mountain Waldorf on Saturday night, he said.
I looked at the Boulder team, whose players were definitely larger and taller, at the start of the game. And I wondered, do we have a chance?
Sometimes things would get away from us, then wed come back. With 15 seconds to go, we were up one point.
The Tigers defeat in those final frenzied seconds in no way robs the players of what Lake says is their finest quality heart.
This team has a tremendous amount of heart. They play hard and work really well together.
They should be an inspiration to everyone Jews and non-Jews.
Copyright © 2011 by the Intermountain Jewish News
