Shaq sends video greeting to Israeli kids whose relatives were killed or captured
NBA great Shaquille O’Neal recorded a message for Israeli children whose relatives were killed or taken hostage in Hamas’s October 7 attack, telling them “I love you” and speaking in Hebrew.
Shaq recorded the video for children at Camp Timberlane, a summer camp in Haliburton, Canada, that, in partnership with the Israeli organization OneFamily, runs a program for “Israeli youth who have been directly affected by terror and war.”
The recording came about when Chen Kraunik — a OneFamily employee and former Israeli pro basketball player whose father, Arik, was murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri — FaceTimed with O’Neal, the organization said in an Instagram post.
“Camp Timberlane! Hello! Shalom! This is Shaquille O’Neal,” the retired hall-of-fame center says in the video, which the camp posted on Instagram last week. “I just wanted to give you guys a shoutout and let you know I love you.”
O’Neal continued, “To all the amazing children from the OneFamily, I know you came from far, far away. Hope you’re having a good time. We love you so very much. Thank you for coming. And we’ll talk to you soon.”
He concluded with a string of Hebrew messages one right after the other: “Shalom,” “Baruch Hashem,” “L’shana tova,” and “Shabbat Shalom.”
Timberlane welcomed 39 campers and staff from Israel this summer, including children whose family members were killed or taken hostage on October 7.
O’Neal, 52, is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history. In his 19-year NBA career, the 7-foot-1 center won four NBA titles while earning the 2000 NBA MVP award and 15 All-Star selections.
O’Neal, who was raised by a Baptist mother and a Muslim stepfather, has expressed interest in Judaism and Jewish culture many times, both throughout his playing career and in his current role as a TV analyst on TNT.
He has danced the hora at a Jewish wedding, spoken Hebrew with Jon Stewart, and explained that Sukkot is his favorite Jewish holiday — because “sukkah” translates to “shack.” He also recently struck up a friendship with Jewish NHL star Zach Hyman, whom he calls “Shaq Hyman.” On his reality show, “Shaq Life,” O’Neal’s family has explored the tradition of hosting a Shabbat dinner.
“Fact is I’m Muslim, I’m Jewish, I’m Buddhist, I’m everybody, ’cause I’m a people person,” O’Neal said in a 2011 interview.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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