Like everyone who was in Israel that day, Jared Armstrong won't be abusing the seventh of October. The player, who opened the season with Elitzur Ashkelon, woke up like the rest of us to the sound of sirens and explosions from rockets fired by Hamas at Israel.
"It's like September 11 for Israel," Armstrong said in an interview with media outlets in Philadelphia: "I saw a lot of buildings on fire, I told my teammates, 'I don't know what to do but we need to get out of here,' so we went to a friend's house north of Tel Aviv." After that, Armstrong, who underwent conversion in the United States and holds an Israeli identity card, went to his home in the United States.
Now safe at home in Philadelphia, Armstrong says: "For me it was life or death, if the IDF wasn't there, I wouldn't be standing here today. It's an experience that changed my life." But Armstrong isn't just talking, this past weekend he went to a Jewish school to coach the local kids, tell his story, and contribute to the community.
Jared Armstrong and the kids, photo: Instagram
"Basketball teaches a lot of life lessons, whether good or bad, I'm here to inspire kids through basketball, to stay strong, to stay together as one community, because that's how strong we are," Armstrong said.
"Our children are struggling. They have family in Israel and we're worried. As Jews and parents, we worry about our relatives and our children are worried. So when there's someone who's been there and is part of it and they can talk about it and their experiences. It helps children process," said Chaim Greenwald, the school's principal.
Jared Armstrong. Enthusiastic supporter, photo: from Instagram
Armstrong's social networks are also full of support for Israel, and among the other posts and stories he uploads to Instagram is a particularly moving video with an explanation next to it: "Meet Ariel Zohar,
A 12-year-old boy who lost his entire family on October 7. Ariel went for a regular morning jog that day, and while outside, Hamas broke into his home and killed his mother, father and two sisters.
"On the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah celebrations, I prepared this video for him. I can't imagine the pain and suffering he's experiencing right now. Ariel loves basketball, so I hope it brings him a tear of joy!"
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