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NBA’s Washington Wizards to Host Jewish Heritage Night With Israeli Performances and Special ‘Wizraeli’ Jersey, Yarmulke
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Deni Avdija. Photo: Washington Wizards Twitter account.
The NBA’s Washington Wizards will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night at their home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 11, the National Basketball Association announced.
The program at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, is slated to include the singing of the US national anthem by Jewish singer Arianna Zukerman, a pre-game performance by the local Israeli troupe Dance Yesodot and a halftime performance by the Avirah Israeli Dance Company. A video message from Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog will play during the game and Jewish heritage facts will be displayed on all LED boards at the end of timeouts, including details about the team’s second-year forward, Israeli player Deni Avdija. The Washington Wizards will also sell an exclusive “Wizraeli shirt” on their website.
Tickets for Tuesday’s game purchased through a special link will come with a limited-edition yarmulke bearing the Wizards logo, and the opportunity to attend a post-game Q&A with Avdija and Wizards announcer Justin Kutcher.
In 2020, Avdija became the highest-ever NBA draft pick from Israel. He is currently the only Israeli playing in the NBA.
The Washington Wizards have a team website in Hebrew and were the first NBA squad to launch Hebrew-langauge accounts on Instagram and Twitter.
