Local yeshiva starts ping-pong program

On a recent afternoon, ping pong balls rocketed back and forth at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County elementary school in West Hempstead. For the past eight weeks, HANC students ranging from the fourth to sixth grades have devoted their Mondays to skipping the school bus home and working on their serves and slammers.

“It’s fun. I get to play other people who are as good as me,” said 10-year-old Josh Chiger. “I’m pretty good. I’d say I’m the second best one here.”

“The importance of the league is to give kids a chance to play ping pong in an organized setting which is part of the school,” said Glenn Ackerman, director of Jewish Table Tennis, a recently formed non-profit that seeks to promote ping pong in yeshiva day schools. The group, consisting of nine members, was in its eighth week of the scheduled three-month duration for the program. Each member is charged a sum of $65, which goes to the HANC PTA.

“Yeah, this is probably my favorite sport,” said Ackerman’s daughter Estee, 9, after a menacing slap shot point. “I play two to three times a week but when I’m playing, I play at least an hour.”

Most of the nine children in the group skilled beyond their years and Ackerman chalks that up to the sport itself.

“What’s unique about ping pong is no matter how big or how small or how fast or how slow you are, anyone can play with anybody,” he said. “In basketball, people who are tall definitely have an advantage, but here everyone is equal. As long as you practice, you can get better.”

Table tennis is a good alternative for students who may not be interested in or up for the challenge of other physical sports, according to HANC Principal Rabbi Benjamin Yasgur.

“Ping pong provides an option for those children,” he said. “It requires a lot of skill, involves thinking, as well. I think it’s a friendly sport that provokes good will.”

While chasing hard-hit balls zooming across the table, Ackerman elaborated on getting the students involved in a sport that reinforces hand-eye coordination, teamwork and leadership. “Most importantly, though, it encourages them to shut the video games temporarily and spend an hour or two playing a fun and exercising sport,” he said. “I’m a big fan of the treadmill, but you know what, after a while a treadmill will get boring, here they’re playing and having a good time.”

Some of the children, like 12-year-old Bracha Wieder, are so eager to play that they look forward to going to HANC. “All week she looks forward to ping pong,” said Bracha’s mother, Chanchi Wieder. “It’d be great if she was just as excited for school altogether.”    Principal Yasgur was eager himself to admit that one of the program’s benefits is that it leads the children to “enjoy being in the school building even more.”

Despite aestheticism carrying minimal importance, color happens to have an active role in the ping pong games. The children are all instructed to don blue shirts every week before hitting orange balls with red and black paddles on green tables.

“If you’re playing with an orange ball, you can’t wear a yellow or orange shirt because of the effect it has. You could easily get distracted.” Ackerman explained. “That’s why everything is in different colors. This way, you can pick up the ball much quicker.”

Before preparing to close up shop, Ackerman suggested that any school with an interest in getting involved should contact him and he will help get them started. For more information on Jewish Table Tennis, contact Ackerman at (516) 569-1553.