Schools honor the memory of Scot Satran

Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns & Rockaway (HAFTR) High School hosted the annual Scott Satran Memorial Basketball Tournament. Students from eight different yeshivas participated in a series of basketball games to remember HAFTR alumnus, Scott Satran, who died from cancer at the age of 20 in 1987. The tournament is a bittersweet occasion which is always successful in bringing together, year after year, basketball players from throughout Long Island and the metropolitan area, who form new friendships in remembrance of Satran.

Along with the HAFTR Hawks, the North Shore Hebrew Academy Stars, Davis Renov Stahler Wildcats, SAR Academy Stings from Riverdale, Magen David Yeshiva Warriors and YDE Thunders of Brooklyn took park in the tournament that began on Jan. 3 and concluded on Sunday.

I had the privilege, for the past three years, to spend the weekend of the tournament with the Satran family, to whom this event means a great deal. I have personally witnessed the new friendships formed throughout the meals hosted at Congregation Beth Sholom of Lawrence and the oneg hosted by the Scharf family.

Jamie Satran, a HAFTR student and niece of Scott, Robbie Satran, brother of Scott, Ed Satran, father of Scott, Rabbi Kenneth Hain of Congregation Beth Sholom, Ben Brafman, and Joey Hoenig all spoke during dinner to a captivated audience. Jamie Satran spoke about how the players on the teams were there to honor Scott, yet she too had never met him. “His spirit is here in each and every one of you this weekend,” Jamie said. These words could not have rung truer as I watched the boys playing with great exuberance on the court and enthusiastically spending Shabbos together.

The tournament concluded on Sunday afternoon in HAFTR’s magnificent new gym, the Hawks Nest, as the host team won the tournament championship after defeating the NSHA Stars. Congratulations to the Hawks and all of the participating teams on a wonderful tournament!