Want inspiration, read ‘Ping-Pong Shabbat’

West Hempstead neighbors may remember the name Estee Ackerman, and her sudden rise to local stardom. At only 11, she rose to prominence for choosing her religion over a chance at a national table tennis title. Ann Koffsky, also of West Hempstead, was inspired to write a children’s book on Ackerman’s story.

Ackerman had the athleticism and discipline required to play in a national gold-medal championship game as an adolescent. This catapulted her image from talented schoolgirl to ‘hometown hero.’ She was hailed for her tenacity, humility, and having strong values at such a young age.

Koffsky, a friend of the Ackerman family, was delighted to turn this town news clip into a newly released children’s book, titled, ‘Ping Pong Shabbat.’ The book was released on Sept. 10, and can be found on Amazon as well as in the West Hempstead library. Koffsky and Ackerman attend the same synagogue. Ackerman is the daughter of one of Koffsky’s friends. Their relationship predates Ackerman’s fame.

“I got to watch her play,” Koffsky, when asked why she wrote the book. “We were both booked as entertainment for this Passover program. When I saw her play, I was blown away, it was ping pong on a whole other level.”
Ackerman has played table tennis against some national champions, tennis Hall-of-Famers and still won. Playing and winning in the U.S. Open as a teenager gave her the experience necessary to be the subject of this book.

“Stories give us meaning,” Koffsky said. It’s what brings us together, makes people smile. The fact that I get to be a part of that is awesome.”

Koffsky just hopes that people put effort into reading it. Ackerman and Koffsky often visit schools together, and on Sept. 13, they are set to visit Yeshiva University High School for girls.

Ackerman’s old stomping grounds seemed like the perfect place to present the book to an audience that would appreciate it. It’s even more inspiring that Ackerman is in her early 20s, so the high schoolers may feel like her goals are achievable for themselves, and not far-fetched.
Choosing her religion over her love of the sport, was a huge decision for Ackerman to make, one of the biggest ever.

“I’d put in a lot of time and effort into ping pong, missing school and family functions,” she said. “As much as I wanted to compete, I found that Judaism is and will always be my number one priority. I felt that playing that Friday night would not have been in the spirit of the Sabbath. At that moment, I understood my values in life. Upholding my faith in all situations propelled me to a lot of exciting opportunities only after I made that hard choice.”

Ackerman hopes the youth is inspired to dream big and feel like anything is possible to accomplish.

“Get inspired,” she said. “Get motivated. Find a hobby or passion in this world.”

Ackerman wants her supporters to know that they too can be Olympic hopefuls, by putting in hard work and prioritizing one’s beliefs.

She has been an inspiration to kids and athletes on Long Island, but she credits her own inspirations to her family.

Sandy Koufax’s and some other top athletes were mentioned but the real credit goes to Ackerman’s parents, grandparents, and the way they came up.