Beat the Streets -Israel

 

Beat the Streets-Israel

The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program has gone International helping young people in Israel due to benefactors Dr. & Mrs. Avi & Segal Shmuely of Glen Cove and Al and Catherine Bevilacqua of Amityville, Long Island.

 

The program began in 2007 very similar to the New York City Program.  A used mat was purchased from Beat the Streets-NYC and shipped to Tel Aviv by air cargo.  The Shmuely Family would visit their parents twice a year and load up their suitcases with wrestling shoes, head guards and singlets for the kids.

 

Israel is experiencing an influx of Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe causing tremendous impact on the country trying to absorb thousands of refugees with many children.  With increased immigration they have the same problems that many cities in the United States …… very few opportunities for the young people after school.   Juvenile delinquency, drugs and a high dropout rate in the schools.

 

 

The original workout center was held in a Bomb Shelter in the town of Sderot, a few miles from the border of Lebanon.  During the 2008 week long bombings, while the kids were working out, the siren would sound off alerting everyone to go into a bomb shelter.  When the horn sounded again they would leave and return to work while the kids resumed wrestling.

 

 

According to Dr. Shmuely, “The mayor of the town heard about our support and decided to give the team their own fully renovated building which includes a sauna. They now  have a permanent home in a newly renovated building with two FILA size mats and the gear they are wearing is with your great help.”

 

Dean, son of the Shmuely’s wrestled with the kids and had lots of fun. The club has grown to 50 wrestlers attending daily after school in two age groups. Over the summer they continued the program so the kids would stay out of trouble and off the streets.  

 

The BTS wrestling center was named after Dr. Shmuely’s uncle who was murdered in Munich 1972 and it reads “The Moshe Weinberg Wrestling Gym, Israel Wrestling Olympic Head Coach, that was murdered in the Munich Olympics 1972”.

 

The facility was possible with the help of Mrs. and Dr. Avi Shmuely.   

 

Avi & Segal also provide hot meals to many of the families and “we hope that God will keep my family and myself healthy and capable so we can continue through wrestling to improve Israeli children and their parents life”.

 

The organization is seeking to add a new city in the fall.