Opinion
OTHER. VIEWS
The Bounce In Kenny's Step
y little broth-
er, Kenny,
loved to play
basketball. He would
go outside on the
driveway and bounce
and bounce his bas-
Arnie Goldman ketball endlessly, tak-
ing hundreds of shots,
Community
trying
to swish each
Perspective
one.
He would play with his friends, our dad
and sister and me, though I was 12 years his
senior. Unless it was snowing or raining, it
was reasonably certain that he would be
outside practicing.
He was short and skinny, but at 10 years
of age, he could already shoot better than I,
from any distance. When he'd finally come
inside, he'd watch the Detroit Pistons or
Michigan State when they played on TV.
He would stare at Greg Kelser and Magic
Johnson, imagining himself in•heir large
shoes, leading a team to the championship,
like they did in March 1979.
After Kenny died from a car accident on
the way home from a Detroit Tigers base-
ball game that he'd attended with my dad in
July 1982, the sound of bouncing balls and
clanging rims stopped on Arden Park Circle
in Farmington Hills. But the memories
never did.
My parents soon felt strongly that even
though Kenny was no longer there, it was
urgent that they preserve his memory in
some way. They just didn't know how.
They visited the Jewish Federation of
Detroit whose executive director, after hear-
ing about Kenny's love of basketball, sug-
trying to make shots from up close and
gested they talk to the executive director of
behind the foul line.
the Jewish Community Center, Mort
So many boys and girls have worn the
Plotnick. Mort didn't know if it would work,
Kenny Goldman Basketball League shirts,
but he suggested that maybe they could
every year a different color. In the last few
start a small basketball league for young
years, the league became affiliated with the
kids. Kenny had never received any instruc- NBA and WNBA in that the professionals
tion when he was young, was never in a
help provide instructional materials for
league, but probably would
players and coaches.
have loved joining one.
"Our Kenny Goldman
How many young boys
Youth Basketball League is
and girls were like Kenny?
booming;' says Bruce
My parents liked the idea
Wineman, JCC sports and
and endowed the Jewish
recreation director. "We
Community Center with the
had about 60 kids in the
Kenny Goldman Athletic
league five years ago. This
Fund, which would be used
fall, we had close to 600 on
to provide a basketball
55 teams:'
league for young boys and
Now, he expects 700-800
girls, from ages 6-13.
boys and girls from
It started in the fall of
kindergarten through 10th
1984. My father tossed the
grade to play in the winter
first jump ball in the first
leagues that, started Jan. 8
league. My mother, sister
("JCC Hoops:' Nov. 24, page
Kenny Gol dman's bar
and brother-in-law, my
25.).
I have told him that I
mitzvah photo, 1982
future wife and I sat on the
will attend the first games
sidelines just praying something good could in January, which run from 1-10 p.m. on
come from the tragedy.
Sundays and require a hired scorekeeper,
Over the years, the league grew in atten-
who happens to be my cousin's son, Seth
dance and became a little better attended
Strasberger.
every year. My son, Kyle, now 19, was in the
There are so many people that my par-
league when he was 8, but liked baseball
ents, sister, wife and I have met who have
better (and eventually football.)
kids in the league. It's hard to explain the
Hundreds of other children participated
feeling one gets when a young boy, like 137
in the 21 years the league has existed and
year-old neighbor Ben Nadis, talks about
even more parents have sat on the sidelines
playing in the Kenny Goldman League and
watching. as their sons and daughters ran
his love of basketball. When I drive down
up and down the court, passing, dribbling,
his street and see him dribbling and shoot-
ing a basketball with his dad, I feel both
sadness and joy.
My parents feel enormous pride imagin-
ing what they started 21 years ago and what
it is today. When Kenny died at age 13, a few
months after his bar mitzvah, the emptiness
was unbearable. But my parents persevered
and started something that both preserved
Kenny's memory, but also gave young kids a
chance to learn about and play something
they love.
The league registration form says, "Have
fun, compete against other teams, learn new
skills and play basketball. All players receive
a trophy and each division plays approxi-
mately 8 games playoffs and a champi-
onship:'
This is a league that preserves friendly,
fun competition that helps kids grow up
into young men and women.
Kenny never got to see the Pistons win
their three championships, never got to see
Joe Dtimars, Ben Wallace or Chauncey
Billups, never got to play in a high school
basketball game. But I still pray that he is
out there somewhere, watching hundreds
and hundreds of boys and girls wearing
shirts with his name across their hearts. •
I hope that he can see them laughing,
sweating, and scoring, just being kids. 111
Arnie Goldman of Farmington Hills is president of
IDN-Hardware Sales Inc., and the author of
"Outlive Me: Thirty Years of Poems and
Writings." Half of the proceeds of this book
(www.outliveme.com) go to the JCC's Kenny
-Goldman Athletic Fund. His brother, Kenny, Would
have been 37 on Dec. 23.
Sharon's Lessons Linger
o my knowl-
edge, Ariel
Sharon has
never visited Detroit.
And now, following a
major stroke and
brain hemorrhage, it
Oki, is doubtful that he
Allan Gale
will ever make the
Community
trip. So I, and most
Perspective
Jewish Detroiters, are
left with an imper-
sonal impression of
the Israeli leader, garnered from newspa-
per and television reports.
One's first reaction to the news was, of
course, to pray for Sharon's return to
health, and to recite the traditional mishe-
bairach prayer (or the popular Debbie
Friedman contemporary rendition). But
beyond that not ever having met Sharon, I
wondered what there still might be for us
.
34 January 19 2006
to learn from one of Israel's great military
leaders, its most popular politician of the
last five years, indeed one of the most pop-
ular politicians in Israel's history. •
Certainly his most immediate legacy is
his ability, after contemplating new demo-
graphic, strategic and diplomatic realities,
to change his views on what is necessary
for Israel's survival. This change translat-
ed into 1) his vision of unilateralism, and
2) his erection of the separation barrier,
both as the modes of dealing with the
Palestinians, who now fail to be a trusted
partner for peace. These realities also
engendered his' close relationship with
President Bush and his government's
broadening cooperation with the U.S. on a
host of ventures — especially the war on
terror, post-Sept. 11.
Of course, prior to his prime minister-
ship, Sharon had made his mark, serving
as the housing minister in the 1990s, help-
-
ing to settle the almost one million
Russian Jews who made aliyah to Israel
then. (It was at that time that his nick-
name, "the bulldozer:' developed new
meaning.) Before that, he distinguished .
himself as a brilliant military strategist in
the 1973 War and earlier battles.
But Ariel Sharon, through his quoted
material, offers something to us as indi-
viduals and members of the world Jewish
community.
First, on strength: "As one who fought in
all of Israel's wars, [ I ] learned from per-
sonal experience that without proper force
we do not have a chance to survive in this
region ... Yet the sword alone cannot decide
this bitter dispute in this land."
On peace: "I am for a lasting peace ...
[but it] must be a different peace, one with
full recognition of the rights of the Jews in
their one and only land; peace with securi-
ty for generations and peace with a united
Jerusalem ... I believe that the conditions
have been created that will allow us and
the Palestinians to reach a historic break-
through."
AbOut Israel's neighbors: "Iran, Syria
and Libya are irresponsible states which
must be disarmed of weapons of mass
destruction ..."
On the world's hypocrisy toward Jewish
sovereignty: "No one has the right to put
the Jewish people and the State of Israel on
trial:'
While Ariel Sharon's political career may
very well be at its end, his legacy, the les-
sons he shared and his future vision of
peace will continue to guide his beloved
Israel and the world Jewish community.. ❑
Allan Gale is associate director of the
Bloomfield Township-based Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit.