By: Yael Bister (11th Grade)
This past Monday, student athletes from grades four through twelve gathered in the gym for the Hebrew Academy’s annual Sports Banquet. The Sports Banquet honors student-athletes and their accomplishments throughout the academic year.
When attendees walked in, they were greeted with blue and white balloons and athletic-inspired decorations.
The athletics department honored a record 28 seniors at the ceremony, giving each student-athlete a custom black dri-fit sweater emblazoned with the wearer’s name, sports played, and the school logo. Noah Dobin and Zoe Sugar were both presented with the prestigious Rabbi Yossi Heber Award to honor their outstanding commitment to the athletic department.
“Sports have always been a big part of my school life,” Dobin (12th) said. “Every year since fourth grade, I’ve been playing for the school. I’m honored to have received the Yossi Heber award. Getting it made me really realize that I’m really finished playing sports for the school. Really crazy to think about. It’s been such a big part of me.”
It was a bittersweet ceremony seeing as this year’s senior class was an integral part of the athletic department.
“The spirit of the [lady warriors soccer] team won’t be the same without the seniors,” said Eden Albergel (10th). “They really showed me how to play as a family and really inspired me to join. Having Amit Shushan as one of my captains taught me to enjoy every moment on the field and to never give up.”
For the upcoming year, Athletics Director Chad Bishop announced plans to memorialize Sammy Farkas. The school installed a new volleyball system dedicated to Sammy’s favorite school sport. Each and every day he was in the gym playing the sport. Starting next year, every team uniform will have SF engraved on the back.
“The initials SF on our jerseys, sweatshirts, and shirts from now on represents more than just our numbers or who we are individually. We are wearing something more than just about us,” said Kayla Wolfson (11th). “SF means something more than just letters. It is a way to honor Sammy and to do the things that he loved in the way he would do it.”