Coach Pearl to headline Athletes For Israel golf gala in New York

Three NBA alumni are touring Israel with Athletes For Israel this month. Photo from AFI Twitter.

Last summer, Athletes For Israel co-hosted the Auburn basketball team’s groundbreaking trip to Israel, and this year, Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl is headlining the organization’s first fundraising golf tournament.

The tournament will be on May 22 at Trump National Golf Club Westchester in Braircliff Manor, N.Y.

The day will start with breakfast at 10 a.m., with the tournament starting at noon. There will be a barbecue on-course lunch at 1:30 p.m., a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., with the dinner and award ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

Athletes For Israel combats antisemitism through inclusiveness in professional and collegiate athletics, partnering with athletes and influencers to create memorable experiences and positive connections with Israel.

Through these partnerships, athletes and influencers experience the daily life of Israel, visit famous sites and the high-tech ecosystem. Many athletes arrive in Israel with misperceptions, and they help debunk myths about the country through sharing their experiences with fans and social media followers.

They have organized trips with NBA players Ray Allen, Eddy Curry, Rick Barry, Walter McCarty, Tony Delk, Roger Mason, Kevin Ollie, Donyell Marshall and others. An NFL trip included Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, and there has also been a trip for Major League baseball players.

This month, an NBA trip is featuring Sedric Toney, Dale Ellis and Theo Ratliff. In addition to the usual touring, they will lead youth basketball clinics and visit the Jewish Sports Museum.

In organizing the Auburn trip, the first by a Power 5 college basketball program to Israel, Pearl said he wanted to be sure that there would be a similar “Birthright for Basketball” trip every summer. This year, Athletes For Israel is bringing the University of Arizona and Kansas State teams.

In November, Athletes for Israel also coordinated the visit of several Jewish high schools from across the United States for a Shabbat experience and tournament in Auburn.

Sponsorships for the May 22 tournament start at $4,000 for a foursome, and go up to $50,000 as AFI sponsor.