Jerusalem Basketball Club Established to Honor Six Murdered Hostages
A new semi-professional basketball team, Hapoel HaShisha Jerusalem, has been established to honor six hostages murdered in Gaza in 2024. Founded by local youth players, the club merges athletic competition with community remembrance and education.
A new semi-professional basketball team named "Hapoel HaShisha Jerusalem" has been established in the Israeli capital to honor the memories of six hostages murdered in Gaza tunnels in August 2024, alongside other fallen members of the local sports community. Founded by 21-year-old childhood friends and former Hapoel Jerusalem youth players Amitai Veltman and Nadav Hess, the club aims to weave the legacy of the victims into the fabric of the next generation through sports, education, and community engagement.
The initiative commemorates Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Carmel Gat, alongside other Jerusalem sports community members lost since October 7. Veltman and Hess noted that while the pain of the loss remains immense, they are determined to transform grief into living action. Operating in cooperation with the Hapoel Jerusalem youth department, the team will compete in Liga Alef, featuring players aged 18 to 30.
Living Legacy on and off the Court
Home games will be hosted at the Hebrew University's Cosell Center, where a dedicated memorial room will double as the team's locker room, symbolizing the constant presence of the fallen. Each home match will also be dedicated to the memory of a sports fan killed during the ongoing war. Beyond athletic competition, the club plans extensive community outreach, including a commemorative community yoga day dedicated to Carmel Gat and Eden Yerushalmi, who were yoga and pilates instructors.
Families of the victims have embraced the project as a source of comfort and enduring tribute. Rachel Goldberg-Polin expressed deep appreciation for the positive, community-oriented initiative honoring her son Hersh, calling it a meaningful bridge between the grieving families. Yigal Sarusi, father of the late Almog Sarusi, described the club's creation as a miraculous endeavor that helps preserve his son's values and mission of spreading goodness throughout the world.
