DOMINICAN AND ISRAELI TEAMS PUT ON BASEBALL CLINIC WITH A MESSAGE OF HOPE, FRIENDSHIP, AND PEACE

At World Baseball Classic, Philos Project Brings Teams Together Against Antisemitism

MIAMI, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Hours before Israel and the Dominican Republic squared off during the World Baseball Classic, players and coaches participated in an event for local student athletes from the Jewish and Hispanic communities. The joint effort between the Philos Project and the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) was designed to inspire young players, to discuss ways to combat antisemitism, and to promote friendship and hope through sports.

According to Jesse Rojo, Director of Philos Latino, “It was truly inspiring to see professional athletes go beyond their professional obligations to personally connect with the next generation and champion a message that solidifies the strong, historic friendship between Jews and Latinos.”

Tuesday’s “Esperanza Series” event builds on a Philos-led trip to the Holy Land in November 2022, when MLB players Jeimer Candelario, César Hernández and Nelson Cruz held a baseball clinic for over 200 Israeli children and met with Dominican and Israeli leaders in support of strong bilateral relations.

“We’re extremely proud of the friendships we’ve developed with Philos Latino and the Dominican Republic,” said Jordy Alter, President of the IAB. “This is an incredible opportunity for kids to experience how sports like baseball unite people from all countries and all backgrounds.

The event at José Martí Park in Miami featured a question-and-answer session and an exchange of flags between countries.  It also included a ceremony featuring white roses, a symbol adopted from a Nazi resistance movement in the 1940’s and used today by the Philos Action League to show solidarity and friendship to victims of antisemitism, a gesture the group has repeated more than 150 times since May 2021.

MLB great Nelson Cruz, who serves as GM of the Dominican team, headlined the clinic and expressed hope “for this initiative to continue to grow and that we may be able to bring more players to motivate the children and that this may become a tradition for many years to come.”

See/ download pictures and video here.

ABOUT PHILOS ESPERANZA

Philos Esperanza promotes ties between Hispanic and Jewish communities through baseball clinics and athlete exchanges. It seeks to reinforce ties between Israel and the Dominican Republic, the only country to volunteer to receive Jewish refugees in the years preceding WII.

SOURCE Philos Project