Amar’e Stoudemire, the former NBA star who has embraced Orthodox Judaism, met Monday night with Rav Dovid Yosef, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, during the Rishon L’Tzion’s trip to Miami.
During their meeting, Rav Yosef offered Stoudemire a warm bracha, encouraging him to persevere in his spiritual path and public example, telling him: “Continue to strengthen yourself and sanctify God’s name in the world of sports.”
The Chief Rabbi also bestowed a special bracha upon Stoudemire’s newborn son, expressing the hope that the child should be raised to a life of Torah, chupah, mitzvos, and maasim tovim.
Stoudemire, who enjoyed a long and accomplished career in professional basketball, has in recent years undergone a personal journey of geirus and growth in Yiddishkeit. He is now known by his Hebrew name, Yehoshafat ben Avraham.
That journey culminated in August 2020, following years of Torah learning in yeshiva, when he formally completed his geirus through the Beis Din Tzedek in Bnei Brak founded by Rav Nissim Karelitz.
He now spends most of his day learning Torah.
{Matzav.com}
