Transcript [00:02] I'm from Newton, Massachusetts and I [00:04] made aliyah March 10, 2021. When I was [00:07] six in 2001, my family temporarily came [00:10] to Israel for 2 years during the second [00:11] inifat. The main calling for me to come [00:13] back to [music] Israel actually started [00:14] during those two years. When my family [00:17] lived here, that's when I first picked [00:18] up a basketball and I just fell in love [00:20] with the game. And so when I came back [00:21] here after a high school and college [00:23] career where I was injured, it was clear [00:24] [music] to me that I wanted to train [00:25] basketball players. And that's what I [00:26] did when I first came here. I was a [00:28] strength and conditioning coach for [00:29] Makabi Tel Aviv and then Esiona. I got [00:31] some exposure with some incredible [00:32] people [music] like Denny Oddio Caspari [00:34] Starttomire and I made aliyah during [00:36] that process cuz my passions were really [00:38] in [music] basketball in Israel and [00:40] through this process of training [00:41] basketball players I started creating [00:43] content on the internet. I wanted to [00:44] create a brand [music] for myself. So [00:46] the brand that I created is called Grit, [00:48] which stands for gain resilience in [00:49] time. And it's a reflection of my [00:51] personal basketball journey being [00:53] injured [music] and all the resilience [00:55] that I had to get from the physical and [00:56] mental adversity that turned me into a [00:58] very [music] gritty person and going [01:00] after the things that I love. When I [01:02] made Aliyah, the army did not call me to [01:04] serve. And then after the 7th of [01:06] October, I enlisted myself in my own [01:08] service. So I felt really called to [01:10] speak and talk about the conflict, but [01:11] from the perspective of [music] a [01:13] basketball player. In between these four [01:15] lines, I've met people from all [01:17] different walks of life. [music] This [01:18] court has given me a foundation to talk [01:20] about the conflict from a humanitarian [01:22] standpoint. Way I look at is using [01:25] basketball [music] [01:26] and my experiences with the game to [01:28] speak to people that either don't know [01:30] the situation or don't like Israel. [01:32] [music] And as a result, I've been able [01:33] to step outside of the echo chamber on a [01:35] regular basis. I'm reaching [music] [01:37] tens of millions of people a month [01:38] across my platform in all four corners [01:40] of the world. been very fortunate to [01:42] grow [music] a significant YouTube [01:44] platform that has now taken me to Africa [01:46] and Australia and Europe and America [01:48] [music] [01:49] and opening a nonprofit which is [01:51] actually called Grit for Good and it's [01:52] about doing my tikun. It's not just [01:55] about [music] Israel. It's about doing [01:57] good for the world. Both of my parents [01:58] are actually rabbis and so I've come [02:00] from a house [music] of tikun my whole [02:01] life and I feel that this merger of [02:03] basketball and Israel is my way to [02:05] manifest what I really want to do. What [02:07] I feel about [music] the Bonetsion Award [02:09] is an enormous amount of gratitude [02:11] because it's a reminder for me that [02:13] sticking true to myself is [music] [02:14] always the right thing to do and that I [02:15] can remain on the right path. I would [02:18] tell young Olim that you are exactly [02:22] where [music] you are supposed to be and [02:23] as long as you have good intention that [02:25] you are looking to positively help other [02:27] people and you [music] remain true to [02:28] yourself that is the most authentic [02:30] version of influence. I am deploying [02:33] [music] conversations in a way to get [02:35] people to want to listen. So the goal [02:37] should [music] not be to change [02:38] somebody's mind because you can't do [02:39] that in 13 minutes with somebody about [02:40] Israel Palestine. What you can do is [02:42] show them that you're a good [music] [02:43] person and you have intention to listen. [02:45] You have to go after the things that you [02:46] want and all you have to do is tell the [02:48] story that you want.
Barak Swarttz, recipient of the 12th Annual Sylvan Adams Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize in the field of Young Leadership
The annual Sylvan Adams Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize was established to recognize English-speaking Olim who have made a notable impact on Israeli society. Barak Swarttz, YouTuber and Founder of GRIT for Good, using basketball and storytelling to connect global audiences with Israel, was awarded the prize in the field of Young Leadership.
For more information: https://www.boneizion.org.il/12th-annual-prize-recipients/
Video produced by Shai Getzoff
