A Jewish Journey of Identity and Courage

me. We locked eyes, and I positioned myself for the pass. “This one’s yours, Levitt!” the coach shouted. Chen’s pass was spot-on, and the ball landed in my hands effortlessly. I took two quick strides, sidestepping an Addison player, then leaped as high as I could, sending the ball toward the net. I held my breath, following the ball’s trajectory. In that moment, everything around me faded away. I didn’t hear the crowd, the coach, or anything else—just the rush of adrenaline as I focused on the hoop. Suddenly, the crowd erupted in cheers, and before I could process what was happening, Chen jumped at me, shouting, “King of the world!” The scoreboard lit up with our one-point lead. Just two minutes later, the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game. Our entire team jumped in celebration, and soon, more kids from the audience joined us. I barely managed to wave at my parents, who were cheering and likely capturing a million photos and videos. After the game, we all headed out for hamburgers. It was the first time in ages that I felt completely at ease with everyone. No one mentioned Marcus, and it was a relief. Instead, we reminisced about memorable moments from the game, took pictures, and celebrated together. The coach praised us, saying reaching the finals was an honor for both the team and the school, regardless of the outcome. Still, we all knew that starting next week, he would push us even harder.

★ ★ ★

“How did it go with the team?” Dad asked as he picked me up from the restaurant.

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