Yakima, WA – A small Orthodox Jewish school forfeited a consolation game in a Washington state high school basketball tournament so players could safely observe a religious fast.
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Northwest Yeshiva elected to forfeit the game Thursday rather than break the “Fast of Esther,” one of five fasts on the Jewish calendar that prohibits eating or drinking anything until nightfall.
School officials said the risk to players not able to rehydrate during the game was unacceptable.
The on-court formalities were brief.
Northwest Yeshiva players, led by coach Jed Davis, shook hands with opposing players and coaches, huddled at their opponent’s free-throw line, had a quick cheer, hugged and walked off the court. One player cried.
what a kiddush hashem!
Best of luck to all the wonderful ladies on the team.
Now there’s the real Purim spirit, of לא יכרע ולא ישתחוה – not compromising on any aspect of Judaism. Kudos to these young women and to the school administration!
Kol HaKavod, young ladies. I’m sure that was a big disappointment, but we are still very proud of you!!
A big Kiddush hashem. Let’s not forget how important basketball is to these kids and the time and effort they put in practicing. To just walk off the court and forfeit the game was not easy. Kol Kavod to the coach and the girls. May Hashem reward them all with good health and help them stay on the right Derech.
I think it is interesting with all the kulas in tznius that must apply to this team … that a nidcheh fast day was kept. I find that surprising. I would think it halachically much easier for a woman to eat on a nidcheh than to run around a basketball court, moderately clad, in front of hundreds of men. Anybody else?
Would ester approve of this girls team?????
This Yom Tov Purim is because of Ester Hamalkeh so we have to praise those girls who did NOT abolish the Tanis for there sports …What a kiddish hashem you all made and may this be a zechis for all yidishe kinderlech that we observe hashems laws no matter what the cost is…
May their sacrifice merit the hastening of the coming of Moshiach, after which all fast days will be turned into days of simcha.
Good for them.
A true Kiddush Hashem…
With all due respect, Duck, I think you are missing the point. This game was played in the middle of farmland. For many, I believe it was the first time many of the spectators and other players have met a Jew. Many stereotypes of Jews were staring us right in our faces, including some boys throwing down a penny to see if the girls would pick it up. People asked us why our girls dressed with all their bodies covered up, asked why the girls couldn’t fast a different day or give up the fast in order to play ball. Basketball is integral to many of the other teams/schools lives – as well as their Christian faith. We absolutely and without a doubt showed them what it means to have faith, integrity, dignity, dedication, modesty and steadfastness – a lesson many admired us for after listening to our reasons. And you know who our supporters were while the girls were on the court forfeiting the game? We play in a league with many Native American teams. The best team in our division cheered and backed us up.
(And, I’d like to see the picture changed to the current team that actually participated)
just from looking at the schedule..it seems that it was a good chance if they advanced past t he next round..that they would have had a shabbos game to deal with. I’mnot sure how this will work in the future.
Listen …every sports playing yeshiva kid..dreams during shiur about playing in the major league of the sport of his dream…shabbos is always the main deterent in our dreams.
It is a kiddish hashem that they didn’t play, however the idea of girls running around in front of men is NOT tznius!!! It does not matter what they are wearing this is the hashkofas Hatorah.
Wow, what’s up with all the negativity? After the whole Grossman debacle and the hit and run driver, can’t we enjoy a feel good story?
Beautiful kovd shamayim Berdichevr zy’a
let the other team show some respect, for religeon purposes, they should forfeit the game
simentaneously then i can see you are a sport and a great coach
Am I confused?? Or r there 6 fasts in a year!?!
i know that many chasideisha women do not fast on all of the fast days.do they fast on taanis esther?
I am so proud of the girls , the school and their parents that I can’t stop kvelling.
Kol Hakavod to you all. You are following the example of Avraham in that you live in the world but maintain Jewish tradition. I still have a happy grin on my face when I think of your forfeiting the game with good manners.
Be well and may you find shiduchim worthy of you. .
Kol HaKavod!!
these girls will learn a lifelong lesson from this and will be inspired to make sacrafices in life to uphold the Torah
look at all of the heligeh yeshios that cut corners and do questionable things when it comes to $$$- where are their principles and … principals
yasher Koach to Rabbi Fox and the entire hanhalah for teaching US ALL a lesson in living life as a Torah commited Jew in the true sense of the word !!
None of them look in shape to play basketball. 5’0 and 140 pounds? They are forfeiting a game they would have lost so how is it s a kiddush hashem?
Bah! Humbug! Forget about complaining about tznius and fast days! The REAL problem is living in Seattle, on the North-West Coast of United States. These girls should be living in Ir Hakodesh – Lakewood, or at the very least, for purposes of parnosa – Boropark.
It is a chiyuv to live among frum Jews, where there are pizza shops and bistros to indulge in, without being tempted to buy a coffee at Starbucks. It is a chiyuv to live in a community where fashionable clothing is available on every street (and some are even at affordable prices), without the influence of shopping at goyish clothing stores.
The wild west is the problem! Girls, come home! Live where you will enjoy the chumra of the week, and dress fancier than the nebbichs. Live in high priced housing and learn to look down at everyone else – including your friends. Home is full of sibling rivlary – yidden are all brothers!
L’chaim!
What a heartwarming story of typical teenagers being moiser nefesh for yiddishkeit in their own unique way. We see from this story that mesiras nefesh is not necessarily done by risking ones life or livelihood. Even a small action of forfeiting a basketball game portrays these girls as yirei shomayim and truly the right representatives of frum yidden in a town with a small frum jewish community. They are truly role models for us to look up to.
and those are the comments I’d like to address. My daughter happens to be #14 on the NYHS team. I DO NOT appreciate at all of the stupid comments and assumptions made. Who do you think you are to make assumptions about my daugther or her frumkeit???
First of all, most of the kids in her class are frum and come from frum families. They wear long, BAGGY shorts and long sleeves. I do not see what this has to do with masculinity. In terms of girls not playing sports, that is Taliban-like thinking. That is NOT what kvod bat hamelech penima means!!
My daughter has benefited so much from team sports, I can’t even tell you. It is about commitment, working together as a team, how to win AND loose with dignity. It’s about fair play, sacrifice. It’s been hard on our family with constant practices and games. There is very little family time. Do you think it was easy to get that far in the play offs and just walk off the court?? Each girl was 100% in favor of forfeiting. How many times in a person’s life does one really have a chance to stand up for one’s beliefs, ethics and morals? They did it and they did it with dignity and grace. Our girls are to be admired, not picked at.
Wonderful girls! A true kiddush HaShem for all of us! We should strive to always see others in the best possible light. It doesn’t matter if they are all frum or not, they have shown us strength, grace and dignity and have honored our Torah and tradition in a very public manner. This has been a horrible year for news coming from the frum community. Between the financial and sex scandals, we need some uplifting news. Let’s celebrate these girls and thank them for being a shining example to all of us.
Hi, so the other day I posted some comments to this list. For some reason, the first half of my email was cut off. The first half said that I wanted to thank this list as most of the posters were really supportive of our girls. Some had not been so nice, but most were. So, thanks again for your support and kind words
FYI the rambam in hilchos deas says that not someone who does not fast on a public fast day has no portion is in the world to come. I dont think the same can be said about wearing baggy shorts.
For those who need the source:
הלכות תשובה פרק ג [יא] הפורש מדרכי ציבור: אף על פי שלא עבר עבירות, אלא נבדל מעדת ישראל ואינו עושה מצוות בכללן ולא נכנס בצרתן ולא מתענה בתעניתן, אלא הולך בדרכו כאחד מגויי הארץ, וכאילו אינו מהן–אין לו חלק לעולם הבא.