Five days after the worst terror attack in Israel’s history, former professional basketball player Tamir Goodman realized he had to do something.

“After Oct. 7, we were all frozen, we were all shook, and I felt like, as a former basketball player and a coach, I can’t [allow] myself to be frozen and stuck, too,” he told eJewishPhilanthropy. “I have to find a way to inspire, help motivate and empower people again.”

He typed a message into social media announcing a free basketball clinic, held at a court with a bomb shelter close by in case people needed to take shelter. Within hours, over 100 kids showed up to ball.

“People just felt like they needed to experience life again and to communicate and to smile and to live,” Goodman said.

Families gathered on the sidelines, cheering them on. “Basketball ? BEATS Terror,” Goodman posted on his Instagram.

Once deemed the “Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated, Goodman has been holding free clinics, first weekly in Jerusalem and recently throughout Israel, for displaced families and children with deployed family members. Last month, NBA champion Eddy Curry, who won a title in 2012 with the Miami Heat, joined to help.

“I don’t think there has ever been an NBA champion in Sderot before,” Goodman said about a recent clinic in the southern Israeli town. “[Curry] really was a champion, and [the kids will] always remember that day and that clinic.”

Born and raised in Baltimore, Goodman, 42, stood out for his red hair and lanky build. Peers mocked him, calling him “Howdy Doody,” and he struggled with reading, writing, and basic math. The things he struggled with turned out to be assets. He grew to 6-foot-3 and found that while he might be dyslexic, that just meant he viewed things differently, including the basketball court, which he could map out so he knew exactly who to pass to.

Once ranked the 25th best high school player in the United States when he played for the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, Goodman was the first player to play Division 1 college (at Towson University) and professional basketball without playing on Shabbat. Viewed as an anomaly in basketball because of his Orthodox practices, press hounded him, followed him into school and synagogue.

The challenges he lived through are what prepared him to help kids who are also struggling, he said. 

In 2002, Goodman moved to Israel, where he played for Maccabi Tel Aviv and served in the Israel Defense Forces. Since retiring in 2009 after multiple knee injuries, he became a coach, consultant, motivational speaker and entrepreneur, creating the first antimicrobial and moisture wicking basketball net. Every year since 2007 he holds a basketball camp, currently at the Jerusalem YMCA, along with culture diversity camps for kids living in Israel and the West Bank.

“That’s the magic of basketball,” Goodman said. “Once you’re on the court, the thing that’s important is respecting the game, respecting each other and sportsmanship. Everything else comes together because of that. That’s the holiness of basketball. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, what matters is your attitude and work ethic.”

Because of travel difficulties due to the war, the cultural diversity camp was paused this year, but Goodman hopes to launch it again soon. Kids who met in the camp are now adults and their friendships are still flourishing. “It’s just magical,” he said. “That’s the cool part about basketball, kids that would have never met are still friends for life”

The recent clinics were organized by Goodman, Project Max, Athletes for Israel and Play Hard Pray Hard; the latter two sponsored the Curry visit.

“When a seven-foot guy walks into the gym, these kids go crazy,” Robert Siemens, the founder of Play Hard Pray Hard, told eJP, referring to Curry. “Tamir is a mensch. It’s not just about basketball. It’s about life. It’s about teamwork. It’s about working together. It’s about prayer. It’s about connecting to a higher power and reaching your potential.”

Bringing professional athletes to Israel to work with Goodman allows them to see an Israel not often showcased on the news, Daniel Posner, the CEO of Athletes for Israel, told eJP. “It’s a meaningful and important way of showcasing and helping us to promote a positive narrative about Israel.”

Goodman’s power is in his love of humanity, which brings people of all backgrounds, Posner said. “Throughout his personal journey, with his own ups and downs, he maintains a positive attitude and a willingness and desire to help others. He’s an inspiration and teaches through his own actions a universal message of strength through positivity.” 

That message and Goodman’s ability to uplift others who are struggling lie at the heart of a children’s book he has written, Live Your Dreams, which is being published next year by PJ Library.

“Tamir’s story is one of perseverance and overcoming obstacles to pursue a dream without giving up on personal values and Jewish identity,” Alex Zablotsky, PJ Library’s executive director, told eJP. “Those are such important lessons to pass along to kids.”