By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Tamir Goodman will be the featured speaker at the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton’s pre-Campaign dessert reception on Sunday, August 17, at 7 pm. For more information about the event, see Federation’s pre-Campaign event on Aug. 17 to feature Tamir Goodman.
Jewish ritual and religious practice rarely mesh with college and professional sports since games are often scheduled on Shabbat and holidays. Yet, Tamir Goodman, who has been called the “Jewish Jordan,” was able to play Division I college and professional basketball while wearing a yarmulke and observing Shabbat. Goodman noted that he sees a connection between his Jewish practice and his basketball career. “I will share stories from my career to highlight spiritual and life lessons, based on the ancient Jewish belief that every physical aspect of the world – even something like basketball – contains deeper meaning,” Goodman said in an e-mail interview. “These lessons can help us live more productive, joyful lives and strengthen our Jewish identity and connection to Israel.”
He noted that this is not always easy to do. “There’s a very small percentage of people in the world who can say they earned a Division I basketball scholarship and a professional basketball contract,” he added. “It’s almost impossible to imagine achieving those goals without playing on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. I was able to accomplish my dream because of the people around me – my family, coaches, rabbis, friends and community. They supported me, believed in me and taught me how to unify the physical game of basketball with my Jewish faith. That helped me find the right balance between the two as best as I could.”
He sees the different elements of his life as working together to booster each other rather than causing conflicts. “I believe basketball made me a better Jew, and Judaism made me a better basketball player,” Goodman said. “To me, they are one and the same. Judaism teaches values like faith, resilience, hard work, time management, sharing, caring for your body, mind and soul, setting goals and dreaming big to positively impact the world. I see these qualities as deeply interconnected – they balance and strengthen each other, and they have helped shape my life, my relationship with God, and my sense of purpose in this world and my playing on the court.”
Goodman noted that his faith has helped him during difficult times in his life: “I believe the ultimate purpose in life is to strive to reach our full potential – the potential that God sees in us – and to partner with Him in making the world a better place. That’s why I don’t feel like I missed out on anything because of my religious observance. My faith gave me guidance through both good times and hard times. It helped me manage stress, stay grounded and taught me how to prioritize what truly matters in life.”
He added that he was looking forward to his time in Binghamton: “I hope my life journey can inspire others to chase their dreams – even the ones that seem impossible. I’m truly grateful to the JCC, the Federation and everyone who made it possible for me to come to Binghamton. I’m incredibly excited and thankful for this opportunity.”