A Jewish Journey of Identity and Courage

Chapter 11 David

“Go get them,” the coach said, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat. I tried to keep my cool as I walked onto the court, heading toward the center of the stadium. I’d played the first quarter, and now the coach was putting me back in for the last five minutes. “Let’s go, Levitt!” Jimmy yelled from the bench. I turned to look at him and nodded. Ever since the coach had addressed the team about what happened with Marcus, everything felt different. My teammates were treating me with more kindness, but the biggest surprise was Jimmy. He approached me and apologized for what had happened, admitting he hadn’t realized how much it affected me. I wanted to point out that anyone with half a brain would have understood, but I let him continue. He shared that after Mrs. Walker spoke to his parents, they were upset with him for not knowing his great-grandmother on his father’s side was Jewish. He said he had no idea there were Jews in Italy. Regardless, we made amends, and he promised that if anyone ever said anything nasty about Jews again, he’d stand up for me. I tried to mention that violence isn’t the solution, but just then the coach called us back to practice, so we dropped the subject. The game was intense, and we were tied with the Addison School team. There was no way we were letting this opportunity slip away; this was our chance to reach the finals, and the coach had been preparing us for this moment all year. But then Addison pulled ahead with a two-point lead. Shit. I glanced at the coach—he was pacing back and forth, his face flushed, and he looked like he might faint. As the game resumed, I spotted Chen making his way toward

45