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Courtesy IFL
in downtown Jerusalem is packed every time there is a
major match in the States. Leibowitz’s right-hand man,
Mishaan is Vice President of the AFI and coaches the
American football tackle team Jerusalem Lions, as well as
the Women’s National Flag Football team. “Football here
has become something of a cult,” says Mishaan. “Sport
fans pack in here to watch their favorite sports from
soccer, rugby, cricket and of course American football.
For the final at the Super Bowl, we were totally packed
out.” Appropriately named the Lion’s Den after the
A Pride of Lions. The 2011 champions - Big Blue Jerusalem Lions.
team he coaches, the bar, “which is also kosher” has
become the ‘in place’ in Jerusalem for sport fans. “On
Mondays, Israel Sports Radio
broadcasts live from the bar,
which regularly stays open
past sunrise on Monday
mornings.” With New York
time being seven hours behind
Israel, “this enables our diehard
American football fans
to watch Sunday night’s
N.F.L. games. They stay up all
night – or morning - and then
at 7.30 they’re off to work,
bright and early; Well, maybe
not so bright!”
One of Mishaan’s co-owners
in Lion’s Den is Barry Liben,
a giant in the travel industry
in the States. The current champions of the local flag
football league is Big Blue, named after one of Liben’s
subsidiaries - Big Blue Travel - the official travel provider
for the New York Giants.
Courtesy IFL
The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel
In their father’s footsteps. The founders of American
Football in Israel, Steve Leibowitz (l) and Danny
Gerwitz with their sons, all playing in top teams
– (l-r) Amir Kronberg, (Leibowitz’s stepson), Yair
Gerwitz and Micky Leibowitz.
Spring-Summer 2011
37
“Like the Kraft family, Barry is a great friend of the
league in Israel,” says Leibowitz. “Big Blue is really an
institution here - they were one of our first sponsors of
our league going back over 20 years. They are frequently
sponsoring matches and contributed greatly to the
further development of our facilities at Kraft Stadium.”
Having scored the most touchdowns in league history
in Israel, has not stopped fellow players of Gerwitz
tormenting him that he has never won a championship.
“Yes, this honor has eluded me. I have appeared twice in
the finals at the Holyland Bowl, both times my team lost,”
laments Gerwitz. However,
there are always twists in life.
At the time of this interview,
Gerwitz was especially
looking forward to the final on
the following Saturday night.
His son Yair - playing for Big
Blue - was in with a chance
of taking the championship.
“I can at least enjoy a win
vicariously through my son.”
This being Jerusalem, his
prayers were answered.
Big Blue triumphed with
a long-awaited Gerwitz
in the winning team.
There may be no Israeli
American football candidates yet for the International
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame but for Danny Gerwitz, “my
vote would go to Steve Leibowitz for his superlative
contribution to the development of the sport in Israel.”