Story by Mike May, Photos by Alan Fabricant
With all the upheaval and disruptions currently impacting daily life in Israel, there is a very safe haven for children in that part of the world. It’s called ITEC, which stands for Israel Tennis and Education Centers (ITEC). Currently in Israel, there are 24 ITEC facilities scattered around the country. The purpose of each facility is to provide a safe place for children to visit in order to relax in a safe environment, spend time with friends, complete school work/assignments, eat a hot meal, and learn how to play tennis. Another big-picture goal of ITEC is to teach children of different backgrounds how to get along with one another. Today, Israel is a true melting pot since Israel’s population features Jews, Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, Bedouins, Druze, and refugees from many countries around the world, such as Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Ukraine and Russia.
To generate funding for the ITEC programs, the organization solicits support from donors and supporters in the U.S.
On Thursday, March 13, a delegation of young ambassadors from ITEC paid a visit to the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club in Wellington. It was the eighth visit to Wycliffe by an ITEC group in as many years. The venue for the gathering was center court at Wycliffe’s tennis center.
The seven-person ITEC entourage was led by Yoni Yair, the U.S.-based senior vice president of development. Yair is the ideal representative of ITEC since he spent countless hours as a youngster in Israel at an ITEC facility.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for ITEC,” admits Yair, who stated that ITEC is the largest social service program in Israel. “We are now serving 20,000 kids a year at 24 ITEC centers in Israel. Many of those children are spending as many as eight or nine hours a day at an ITEC center.”
During the 90-minute outdoor tennis-themed demo at Wycliffe, Yair introduced each member of the ITEC delegation and he explained the positive impact on their lives generated by their local ITEC center. While those introductions were attention-getters, the most powerful part of the program was watching the group of Israeli children play tennis. For nearly 30 minutes, it was non-stop tennis featuring sharp forehands, smooth backhands, crisp volleys, well-executed drop shots, and powerful overheads. Each amazing shot generated applause from the 350+ people in attendance, one of whom was current Wellington Mayor Michael Napoleone.
It’s clear that the lives of many children in Israel are being transformed by the sport of tennis as well as their exposure to the counselors and mentors who work at the various ITEC centers.
One of those ITEC ambassadors present at Wycliffe was Miley Svidinsky. She is 12 years old and she lives in Ashkelon, Israel. She admits that her life is better because of the existence of ITEC’s programming.
“I love being at my tennis center in Ashkelon. We live in the south near the Gaza Strip, and the tennis center is a safe place for me. I have many friends, and the coaches are like my family. I dream to represent Israel and be a top (tennis) player in the world,” said Svidinsky.
Following the conclusion of the on-court tennis expo, a reception was held afterwards inside the clubhouse of the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club where the ITEC ambassadors met the Wycliffe residents in attendance that afternoon.
For more information about what ITEC is doing in Israel, access www.ITEC.org.
