Day 1 – January 15th, 2026: The HBHA varsity basketball teams took off for what seems to be a new annual tradition, a travel basketball tournament. This year, the boys’ and girls’ teams attended the Maimonides’ Invitation Tournament at the Maimonides school in Boston for a weekend of tough competition, Torah learning, and a unique Shabbaton experience with teens from across the United States.
The other teams in attendance included the host school, Maimonides; SAR, traveling from New York; Connecticut’s Bicultural Hebrew Academy boys’ team; Atlanta Jewish Academy’s girls’ team; and, of course, our HBHA Rams.
The Rams opened the tournament with a bang, as the competition began just hours after their arrival. With their first match-ups being against the powerful SAR, the Rams showed up with ruach and determination, but unfortunately fell short.
After the games, both teams returned to the Maimonides school with the rest of the tournament’s teens to hear from a deeply motivational and impressive speaker, past Auburn basketball coach, Maccabiah USA gold medalist, and pro-Israel activist, Bruce Pearl.
Pearl shared impressive stories of leading teams he has coached to victory while ensuring his Jewish values and practices stayed consistent and apparent throughout—an important lesson for Jewish athletes to understand, wrapping up our day on a thoughtful note.
Day 2 – January 16th: With day one behind them, the Rams returned early for their second game of the tournament. Though full of strength, both the boys’ and girls’ teams were defeated by Maimonides.
Teens returned to Maimonides later that night for a meaningful Shabbat celebration. Our very own senior, Avital Mullokandova, made the Rams proud as she delivered a beautiful d’var Torah to the entire group, proving our talents go far beyond basketball.
On Shabbat, the tournament presented multiple Torah learning opportunities and services throughout the day, ranging from hearing compelling d’var Torahs to preparing team hype-up speeches based on Torah portions.
Dan Grunfeld, the next influential presenter in attendance, spoke humbly about his book, “By the Grace of the Game,” published in 2021. The book explains the story of his family, focusing on his grandparents, two Holocaust survivors who paved the way for his family to achieve greatness.
Additionally, he spoke about his father, Olympic gold medalist, former NBA player, and executive, Ernie Grunfeld, and himself. Grunfeld followed in his dad’s footsteps, competing in different levels of basketball all throughout his childhood and early adulthood.
It is safe to say that he was a highly motivational figure who enhanced the Shabbaton experience with his presence. He may have even been the reason for the Rams’ continued success the next day.
Day 3 – January 17th: The sun had set, and the Rams were off to Emmanuel College, rested and ready to compete against Bicultural and Atlanta. And as they later proved, they were ready for a win. The varsity boys landed on top with a 53-38 victory, while the girls crushed AJA 61-9.
The first victories of the tournament had officially been achieved. The boys’ team had claimed their first travel tournament win in over five years. Sophomore Phineas Green commented on the win, saying, “Being able to win out of Kansas City was also so cool.”
Day 4 – January 8th, 2026: As both HBHA teams were sitting in the third seed, the Rams hit the court for a Sunday morning rematch against the fourth-seed teams, Bicultural and Atlanta. With all the new, encouraging game tactics, both teams claimed the 3rd place spot for a swift and confident end to the tournament.
Come noon, the Rams had returned to Maimonides for closing ceremonies, where the winners (SAR boys and girls) were announced, as well as the First and Second All-Tournament teams. From HBHA, juniors Sabra Bergh and Naftali Tilove received First-Team All-Tournament, while Junior Naama Reem and Sophomore Phineas Green claimed the Second-Team All-Tournament awards. Additionally, HBHA’s varsity girls claimed the sportsmanship award for their consistent mensch-like behavior.
The Rams’ seasons are to proceed full speed ahead as their conference games resumed on January 21st. Post playing these fierce teams outside of their typical conference, the intensity for the Rams is sure to increase as they return with new skills and a fresh perspective on competition.
Playing other Jewish teams and sharing our values can feel like an impossible opportunity within the Rams’ Great Midwest Conference.
Green said it best, “Seeing my friends succeed and fight hard together to win was so inspiring, and being able to work hard and laugh at the same time shows the dedication and love for basketball my team has. Boston was a great way to improve my skills as a player and be able to connect with other people.”
