Israel and Baseball: A ‘Day at the Ballpark’ with Israel Bonds New Leadership

Baseball predates the Civil War, and, over the course of that long span, it has established itself as America’s pastime, bringing people together for a myriad of reasons, including rooting for the home team, bonding with friends, and family togetherness.

And, for the past 12 years, baseball has also helped facilitate support for Israel through the annual ‘Day at the Ballpark,’ sponsored by the New Leadership Division of Israel Bonds Washington. Throughout  the years, ‘Day at the Ballpark’ has attracted successive groups of young professionals to Nationals Park to cheer on the Nationals and advocate for the Jewish state.

New Leadership cheers on the Nationals at the 12th annual ‘Day at the Ballpark’ (Photo: Adam Herman)

This year’s event, which took place July 21, held added significance, with Israel fighting a months-long war with Hamas, which still holds over a hundred hostages captive. Event co-chair Rachel Sternstein put the day into context, noting, “It’s not just a baseball game. We’re here for Israel.”

She looked around at the attendees packing two party suites, and asked, “How many of you have been to Israel?” Every hand was raised. Rachel then asked participants to “bring yourselves back to how you felt that first time you stepped off the plane.”

“I Felt a Sense of Being Home”

I was at the game, and turned to Jason Langsner, immediate past national New Leadership co-chair and current member of the Israel Bonds National Campaign Advisory Council, and asked how he felt upon arriving in Israel for the first time. What followed was an engrossing conversation held against the backdrop of Nationals vs. Reds, encompassing Jason’s initial visit to Israel and the journey leading him to Israel Bonds, New Leadership and Nationals Park on that baseball-perfect Sunday afternoon.

“The minute I stepped off the plane,” he recalled, “I felt a sense of being home, feeling like a part of Jewish peoplehood. Until that experience, I identified as traditionally Jewish, but thought of myself as a ‘bad Jew.’ My family didn’t keep kosher, and we didn’t belong to a synagogue. That first trip to Israel was like turning a light on, a light that continues to shine bright in my life.”

His initial foray into volunteerism came when the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Young Leadership sponsored a Birthright NEXT program featuring, he remembers, “a photo contest where alumni from different Birthright trips submitted photos from their trip.” Jason’s submission was the winning entry, and that was the catalyst for what is now 18 years of Jewish/Israel activism, first in the Washington Jewish community and, subsequently, on a national level.

As former director of the Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds National Marketing & Communications Department, I had known Jason for several years. His passion for Israel Bonds is unwavering, and I was curious as to how it all came about. As the Nationals Racing Presidents sprinted down the field in the middle of the 4^th inning, Jason shared his Israel Bonds backstory.

Like so many others, Jason first learned of Israel Bonds from going to bar and bat mitzvahs when he was of that age. “I hadn’t thought about Israel Bonds since my childhood, but I was aging out of Federation Young Leadership at the time. I was in my late-20s, and their programming focused on younger 20-somethings. I was in a gap, and felt it was time to spread my volunteer wings a bit more.”

A Federation friend set up a meeting with an Israel Bonds Washington registered representative, and he was so impressed, “I opened an account and bought my first bond that same day. I felt purchasing a larger Israel bond was a way to start repaying the gift of Taglit-Birthright I had received, so I bought a $5,000 bond when I was 28 years old. It was pretty cool,” he added, “to write a physical check to ‘State of Israel.”

The friend who introduced Jason to Israel Bonds was, at the time, also Washington New Leadership chair. “I started to volunteer with her, and together, we began to build a local community of Israel Bond investors age 21 – 44.” Jason succeeded her as New Leadership chair, and his enthusiasm for all things Israel and Israel Bonds inevitably caught the attention of the Bonds national office. In 2020, he was appointed National New Leadership co-chair, a position he held until 2023.

I asked Jason what comes next. “I’m no longer in my 20s,”he reflected. “In fact, I’m no longer in my 30s, and I’ll be aging out of New Leadership soon. But unlike years ago when I aged out of Federation Young Leadership and entered a gap period, I’m digging in further. I want to do more for Israel Bonds.”

Getting into the spirit of the day, Jason used a baseball analogy. “Moving up the Israel Bonds leadership ladder reminds me a little of a baseball journeyman. Over the years I’ve moved into the starting lineup, but, instead of driving in runs, I’m helping to drive investment in Israel through this very special organization.”

Event co-chair Rachel Sternstein with Bonds National Campaign Advisory Council member Jason Langsner at Nationals Park (Photo: Jason Langsner)

“We’re Living in a Post-October 7 World”

As Jason and I rose for the 7^th inning stretch, the Nats and Reds were locked in a 2-2 tie. One inning later, New Leadership erupted as Nationals rookie sensation James Wood blasted a two-out, two-on home run to put the home team ahead for good, 5-2.

As the crowd filtered out, I asked Israel Bonds Washington Executive Director Adam Herman for his impressions of the day. “Look,” he said, “we’re living in a post-October 7 world. At a time of intense Israel hatred and rampant antisemitism, ‘Day at the Ballpark’ proves that support for Israel transcends generations. These events demonstrate that New Leadership can, and will, be at the forefront of pro-Israel advocacy, not just today, but as the Israel Bonds leaders of tomorrow.”

“We Feel the Hug Coming from Overseas”

Two days later, I attended an event featuring two women who had family members being held hostage in Gaza. Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle, Gadi Moses, was abducted from  Kibbutz Nir Oz, cited “the power of community” that helps hostage families stay strong. Dabbing her eyes, she said, “We feel the hug coming from overseas.”

That hug comes in many forms, including baseball, as young Jewish professionals proved on that sunny Sunday afternoon at New Leadership’s ‘Day at the Ballpark.’

Efrat Machikawa (left) and Leat Corrine, who have loved ones being held captive in Gaza, received “a big hug from overseas” from Israel Bonds New Leadership (Photo: James Galfund)