For some people, summertime is about baseball.  Baseball is, after all, the all-American pastime.  But for others, like those in the Jewish community of Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 26, 2010, baseball went beyond being just a pastime.  Organized by Rabbi Levi Krinsky of the Chabad Lubavitch of New Hampshire, Jewish Pride Night meant that baseball was also a symbol of the freedom that we enjoy as American Jews.  “It was a splendid night in every way and an event that brought people together as a community,” Rabbi Krinsky commented.  “Spirits were high and it was a night where no-one wanted to leave the ball park early!”  It seems that some freedoms are earned easier than others, and in that spirit, the Jewish community celebrated their Jewish heritage…and a good old fashioned baseball game.

Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation’s mission has always hinged on the notions of freedom.  Not only was the Gift of Life organization started with the idea that it would combat the devastating effects of the Holocaust, but it maintains the fight for freedom against life-threatening diseases for the patients it serves every day.  With that in mind, Jay Feinberg, Gift of Life’s Founder and Executive Director and Suzi Fuld, New England Recruitment Coordinator, made a presence for the festivities, and were on hand to swab cheeks as they held a donor recruitment drive at the stadium throughout the game.  Suzi remarked, “We were still swabbing after they turned off the lights on the field!”  As a result of their efforts, fifty-eight new donors were swabbed and registered.

Merchantsauto.com Stadium seats 6,500 people, and is the home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the minor league AA Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.  Monday night’s event and game drew a crowd of over 5,000 people, many of whom were local families and Jewish camp groups, enjoying a leisurely summer night out at the stadium.

As Jews, the crowd stood for the playing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem.  As Americans, they continued to stand as the Star Spangled Banner was played.  Traditional baseball fare, in the form of Kosher franks and French fries were available, and best of all, the home team Fisher Cats beat the Harrisburg Senators by a score of 8 – 3.  Stephen Singer, whose family enterprise carries the name of the stadium, generously sponsored Jewish Pride Night.  Stephen noted, “The event was spectacular and exceeded all of our expectations.  It was wonderful to include an organization like Gift of Life, and to be able to reach out and make a difference for people who really need our help.”

For more information about how you can become involved with Gift of Life, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, visit our website at www.giftoflife.org or call 1-800-9MARROW.