Support the 48ers: A basketball program promoting education, equality, and unity for youth in Israel

My name is Mason Smith and I became a Bar Mitzvah on June 7, 2025. In honor of my bar mitzvah, my tzedakah project is to help kids in Israel who are currently facing many challenges. As basketball is my favorite sport, I wanted to find a way to also help other kids play the sport I love so much. I researched many organizations, but The Equalizer Group stood out to me as the one that I wanted to support. The Equalizer Group is a non-profit organization that promotes the power of sports as a tool to help under-resourced kids from all backgrounds receive a quality education and equal opportunities in hopes of unifying the children of Israel. The Equalizer Group organizes basketball teams thru their ’48ers program. For my project, I am sponsoring a ‘48ers team from the AMIT Yeshiva based in Tzvat, which is situated on Israel’s northern border and has been one of the hardest hit areas post October 7th. The city endured dozens of rocket alerts, widespread school closures, and a persistent atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. The boys selected for this team face significant economic, educational, and social challenges. Through the stability and support of this framework, the team has provided a safe space to relieve stress, build resilience, and foster emotional and social growth. I am raising funds to sponsor a ‘48ers basketball team from the AMIT Yeshiva school in Tzfat, Israel. I set up this Jgive page so people can donate to the project and help my sponsorship of this team. My goal is to raise $13,000, which will cover a substantial portion of the funds needed for the upcoming basketball season. I hope you help me reach my goal of bringing the joy of basketball to these kids. ------ The Equalizer is an educational and social nonprofit organization with the goal to harness the power of sport for promoting education, equal opportunities, tolerance, and social cohesion. The organization provides a safe, empowering and developing afterschool framework. The 48ers’ program ------ Account Name: SHAAR SHIVION A.R Swift code: POALILIT IBAN: IL03-0125-8200-0000-0359-599 For any enquiries please reach out to: yaniv@the-equalizer.org