W.H. duo makes great strides in table tennis

On July 1, Akiva and Estee Ackerman — Yeshiva students and nationally ranked table tennis players from West Hempstead — visited the Desert Torah Academy Day Camp in Las Vegas on the invitation of the director Rabbi Moshe Rodman.

Over 50 campers and staff listened to Estee’s story about how she gave up a chance to play at the 2012 national championship in table tennis because she would not compete on Shabbos. Estee and Akiva then put on an exhibition and demonstration for all the campers to watch how fast the ball can travel back and forth.

The Ackermans were in Nevada to compete in the 2013 US OPEN and the America’s Cup Challenge at the Las Vegas convention center. Overall, Estee finished with a record of 5-11, though many of her matches were very close. The Ackermans spent shabbos at the Ahavas Torah Center in Henderson — a new shul/kollel under the leadership of Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz — where they spoke during Shalosh Seudos.

Akiva is going into 10th grade at DRS in Woodmere and Estee is starting 7th grade at HANC Uniondale.