18 | JULY 8 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY T hrough the sport of video games, young Jewish North Americans and Israelis have the chance to con- nect and “find their tribe. ” Lost Tribe Esports, an organi- zation focused on strengthening Jewish identity among teens, hopes their gaming platform will create one million Jewish friendships in the next three years. “We have the underlying belief that Jewish friend- ships lead to Jewish parents, ” explains video game programming expert Michal Nodel, 39, of Bloomfield Hills, who was recently hired by Lost Tribe as their director of Israel operations. Nodel, a veteran of the video game industry, is joining the organization to increase Israeli engagement while developing programs that will include Israel. Right now, Lost Tribe sees 90% of its engagement in North America and 10% in Israel — but the goal is to increase pres- ence on the Israeli side. Nodel, born in Israel and fluent in Hebrew and English, will lead those efforts. Launched in 2019, Lost Tribe has already seen 20,000 Jewish teens engage with its platform, which offers gaming experi- ences for all interests. From sports games like Major League Baseball and FIFA (internation- al soccer), to sandbox games like Minecraft, teens in North America and Israel can log on to Discord, where Lost Tribe has a gaming server, and play games with or against one another. “ A way to think of Lost Tribe is like a virtual JCC, ” Nodel explains. “It’s a virtual recreation area where Jewish teens hang out. It’s kind of like a hangout space for the next generation. ” Nodel says every time she logs on to Lost Tribe’s server, there are 400-500 kids online play- ing games with their friends in other countries. She says these connections are more important than ever, since Jewish teens may disengage from Jewish life after their bar or bat mitzvah. Lost Tribe’s programming includes regular online gaming tournaments, and participants also have a chance to be matched up to play with various teens who are enrolled in the com- munity, which is free to join. Its Discord server includes different channels based on games or topics, so kids can jump right in and begin playing any game they want to. RAPID GROWTH Despite being a small and new organization, Nodel says Lost Tribe’s rapid growth is influenced by its strong social media pres- ence. The COVID-19 pandemic also boosted its community, since kids worldwide were under lockdown and turned to virtual means to engage with friends. Yet, it’s not just games that kids can interact with. Lost Tribe also has a learning component. It posts facts and history about Israel on its social media, using its platforms to combat rising antisemitism as well. “There’s a lot of negativity on social media, ” Nodel explains. “Lost Tribe is using its power to share positive information, which can be really impactful for young people who are get- ting a lot of exposure to some not-so-positive information. ” Lost Tribe is also helping North American teens under- stand the crisis between Israelis and Palestinians. During the recent Gaza bombings, Nodel says Israeli teens were writing to their North American gaming friends on the Discord server about what they were seeing in their hometowns. “‘Hey, I’m in Ra’anana. My dad’s still at work and our sirens are going off. I’m worried he’s not going to get home in time, ’” Nodel remembers one Israeli teen wrote on Discord. “That lands a ton of bricks on, let’s say, a 14-year-old who’s sit- ting in North America at home, engaging online. “[You realize] this isn’t just something that’s going on on CNN, ” she continues. “This is very real. Someone who is exactly your age and shares your interests is going through a whole experience. The impact of that for teenagers brings something very far away close to home. ” ADL PARTNERSHIP To further combat antisemitism and misinformation, Lost Tribe is also partnering with ADL (Anti-Defamation League) to provide resources for kids who might be confused or frightened by what they see happening in their personal lives or on social media. Additionally, as COVID- 19 restrictions continue to ease, Lost Tribe is also working on planning trips to Israel. The gaming organization has goals to expand even further to other areas of the world and recently held online events with communities in Argentina, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is also building a large-scale campaign around the upcoming Olympic Games to teach Lost Tribe members about participat- ing Israeli athletes through social content and other feature stories. The ability to connect instant- ly, Nodel says, and to have fun while doing so, is what makes Lost Tribe and online gaming an excellent gateway for Jewish teens around the world to con- nect. “Lost Tribe has tremendous advantage where our community is actually engaging all the time, ” she says. “We have 24/7 engage- ment. ” Through online video games, North American and Israeli teens build lasting friendships. A ‘Virtual JCC’ for Teens Michal Nodel ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER A group of Lost Tribe gamers