Israel Matzav

Israel's football team's owner and quarterback visit the IDF

Participants on the trip say Brady was visibly moved by what he saw and experienced. Shrage remembers a Chabad rabbi who was close with Myra leading the group’s Friday night dinner.

“Everyone started to dance, and Tom soon joined in. To see Tom Brady dancing in a circle with us, singing with us, that was really special.”

“I think he was enormously moved.”

The Krafts took Brady to an IDF infantry base as well. Boston-born Netzach Yehuda battalion soldier Avi Sandler was in basic training in the Jordan Valley. He had just completed a week of field exercises and a forced march back to his base.

He was told to put on his beret and report to the Deputy Company Commander’s office.

“I was nervous, as at that point one only went to his office if he was in trouble,” said Sandler.

“As I entered the office and saluted, I saw two other soldiers with American backgrounds already seated. We were told that a group of important Americans will be visiting the base tomorrow and that we were chosen to attend as representatives.”

Fellow soldier Label Garelik was sitting in his room when his sergeant came in, and told him that there were some Americans visiting who wanted to speak to soldiers who had moved to Israel from the US.

“Some Robert Kraft or something.”

The next morning, the soldiers were bused to the firing range, where a weapons demonstration was prepared for the visitors.

“Quietly, on the side, my friend says, ‘Avi, isn’t that Tom Brady?'” Sandler recalled. “Other than Mr. Kraft, we had no clue who was visiting. I responded, ‘It looks like him but what would he be doing here?'”

“‘We quickly turned to Brady and asked, ‘Are you Tom Brady?'”

“‘Yes,’ he responded. Our mouths dropped.”

One of the soldiers asked Brady if he wanted to play football with them.

“I don’t mix business and pleasure,” Brady joked.

The soldiers gave a demonstration of the various weapons lined up at the range. Brady exclaimed “Damn!” as the machines gun were firing.

The Patriots quarterback even took some target practice at the base’s shooting range. “I was worried about the recoil,” Shrage recalled. “We certainly didn’t need Brady hurting his throwing shoulder shooting a rifle.”

Other New Englanders were given the opportunity to meet Brady at the Israel Museum at a Saturday night dinner.

Labels: Israel's football team, New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, Super Bowl XLIX, Tom Brady

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:46 PM