As the FIL World Championships in Denver approach closer and closer, teams are beginning to compile their rosters. ILWT will continue to look into these exciting teams.
Israel has an approach in training and member selecting a little different from USA’s. Whereas Team USA recently held their Champions Challenge in Florida to finalize their 23-man roster for their final preparations, Israel is waiting until the very last, legal minute.
Israelis are currently playing with a 99 man roster. They plan to utilize the numbers in full field scrimmages, depth, and sport promotion in their native lands. The team will fly all 99 players to Colorado on July 3rd, where the coaches will immediately cut players down to the 23-man roster for July 7.
On a quick side note, I think this approach is a double edge sword at the Colorado stage. On the one hand, all the potential competitors will play top notch to create the best possible roster. On the other hand, it means less rest, less final team practice together, more travel expenditures, and a potential for sore losers.
However, the way I understand Jewish culture and lifestyle is thankfulness. Thankful for another day. To live. To breathe. To be surrounded by good-natured people who support each other all-around. Maybe the extra 76 players who get cut will stay to provide support for their team. The players who were American before making Aliyah and becoming citizens of their native country, Israel may want to visit their families while in America.
The collection of current players have a vast range of US universities, Israeli universities, and military experience of both American and Israeli Defense Forces. This brings multitudes of styles, backgrounds and strengths.
Via Israel Lacrosse website:
| NO | POS | NAME | HOMETOWN / COLLEGE | TZEDAKAH |
| 1 | F | Joshua Rottman | Danville, CA / UC Davis | Nave Tzion School |
| 2 | G | Hank Altschuler | Philadelphia, PA / Cabrini | Weissman School |
| 3 | F | Matthew Cherry | Ashkelon, Israel / Dickinson | Neve Ha’roe Children’s Home |
| 4 | LSM | Benjamin Smith | Longmeadow, MA / Harvard | Omauot School |
| 5 | M | Casey Cittadino | Baldwin, NY / Towson | The Democratic School |
| 6 | G | Andrew Goldstein | Milton, MA / Dartmouth | Israel Gay Youth |
| 7 | M | Jesse Kane | Tel Aviv, Israel / Sackler-Tel Aviv University | OneVoice |
| 8 | F | Bradley Neumann | Woodbury, NY / Georgetown | Friends of the IDF |
| 9 | M | Yochanan Katz | Jerusalem, Israel / Colorado State | Justifi |
| 10 | D | Jonathan Rathauser | Tel Aviv, Israel / Technion-Israel | Friends of the IDF |
| 11 | G | Reuven Dressler | Ma’ale Adumim, Israel / Israel Defense Forces | Crossroads: in memory of Noam Adin Rechter Levy |
| 12 | F | Richard Cheifitz | Fair Lawn, NJ / Kean | Neve Ha’roe Children’s Home |
| 13 | M | Shimon Laxer | Givat Shmuel, Israel / Bar-Ilan University | Yad Vashem |
| 14 | M | Aaron Tracy | Tel Aviv, Israel / Sackler-Tel Aviv University | Ajeal School |
| 15 | M | Ben Bretter | Petach Tikvah, Israel / Montclair State | Chevra Youth Lacrosse |
| 16 | M | Cody Levine | Purchase, NY / Cornell | Hope for Heroism |
| 17 | D | Mathew Markman | Tel Aviv, Israel / Hebrew University | Sinai School |
| 18 | M | Seth Mahler | Ashkelon, Israel / Whittier | Sticks For Kids |
| 19 | D | Eytan Saperstein | Hewlett, NY / Tufts | Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs |
| 20 | M | Cole McCormack | Ashkelon, Israel / Cornell | Save a Child’s Heart |
| 21 | F | Daniel Hartman | Bellmore, NY / Stevenson | Beit Yeheskel School |
| 22 | F | Michael Pfeffer | Herzliya, Israel / Israel Defense Forces | Garin Tzabar |
| 23 | M | Lee Coppersmith | Boca Raton, FL / Johns Hopkins | The Democratic School |
| 24 | M | Gabriel Leonhard | Arad, Israel / Eastern | Beit Canada Barnea |
| 25 | F | Mitch Goldberg | Damascus, MD / Richmond | Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership |
| 26 | D | Chris Friedman | Freeport, NY / Briarcliffe | Sticks For Kids |
| 27 | D | Adam Crystal | Baldwin, NY / Drexel | Nave Tzion School |
| 29 | M | Matthew Greenblatt | Gaithersburg, MD / Ithaca | Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership |
| 30 | M | Matthew Caple | Wellesley, MA / Tufts | CJP |
| 31 | D | Mark Jutkowitz | Bethesda, MD / Maryland | Taglit-Birthright |
| 32 | M | Daniel Leventhal | Tel Aviv, Israel / Tufts | Weissman School |
| 33 | F | Ari Sussman | New Haven, CT / Dartmouth | Sinai School |
| 36 | M | Samuel Adler | Netanya, Israel / SUNY Potsdam | Jewish National Fund |
| 40 | M | Matthew Flapan | Ramle, Israel / Israel Defense Forces | Omanuot School |
| 41 | F | Noach Miller | Tel Aviv, Israel / Vermont | Kids4Peace |
| 42 | LSM | Noah Knopf | New York, NY / Fieldston School | Treblinka Holocaust Memorial |
| 43 | M | Kyle Bergman | New York, NY / Drexel | Makif Alef School |
| 44 | M | Sacha Stout | Manchester, England / Manchester | Magem David Adom |
| 47 | LSM | Alex Tress | Simsbury, CT / Keene State | Friends of Yamin Orde |
| 48 | G | Connor Wolfe | Scarsdale, NY / Connecticut College | Ajeal School |
| 50 | LSM | Dakota Sherman | Bloomfield Hills, MI / Michigan | Taglit-Birthright |
| 77 | M | Jacob Silberlicht | Ashkelon, Israel / Hobart | Makif Alef School |
| 91 | F | Matthew Opsahl | Patomac, MD / Hobart | Lone Soldier Center |
| 96 | M | Michael Grosz | St. Louis, MO / Robert Morris | United Hebrew Congregation |
| 99 | D | Jason Senter | Rockville, MD / Florida State | Yad Vashem |
| 00 | D | Daniel Devery | Haifa, Israel / University of Haifa | Israel Special Olympics |
Notice after each name, school and hometown is a column titled tzedakah. Tzedakah is the hebrew word meaning giving/charity/donation. Each player that tries out and makes the national team will be sponsoring a different person, organization or charity for Israel.
Stay tuned for more FIL team previews!
