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صفحة: 102
Israeli kids participate in many of the same sports that you do . They bike , play tennis , water-ski , and skate . There is not much baseball or football to be found in Israel , but almost every Israeli child learns to play soccer and basketball—the most popular team sports in Israel . Most cities have professional basketball and soccer teams . Every four years , Israel hosts the Maccabiah Games . Jewish athletes from around the world participate in these “ Jewish Olympics” at the Ramat Gan Stadium outside Tel Aviv . Sports Heroes Tal Brody ( 1943– ) was born in Trenton , New Jersey , and was offered the chance to play professional basketball for the Baltimore Bullets in 1965 . Instead , he led the U . S . team to the gold medal in the Maccabiah Games . It was his first visit to Israel , but he didn’t want to leave . Tal returned to live in Israel in 1970 , joining the Maccabi Tel Aviv team . He introduced Israeli children to basketball through his after-school program , “ Let’s Play Ball !” In 1979 , two years before he retired from professional basketball , the State of Israel awarded Tal its highest honor , the Israel Prize , for his contribution to sports and education in Israel . Yael Arad ( 1967– ) competed in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona . The silver medal she earned in the judo competition was Israel’s first-ever Olympic prize ! Now back home in Israel , Yael teaches judo to kids . Keren Leibowitch ( 1973– ) , who lost the use of her legs as a result of an injury she suffered in the army , is a world-class swimmer . In 1997 , at the European championships for athletes with disabilities , Keren won a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke and three silver medals . She holds the world record for both the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke .
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