The Israel Association of Baseball has launched a baseball program at the Bialik Rogozin School in South Tel Aviv. The school is attended by the children of about 80,000 workers from Asia and Africa who live around the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv and have come to Israel to seek work. 

Bialik Rogozin is a unique school with a special learning environment.  The kids come from dozens of countries and speak different languages. Many have traveled to Israel on foot and some have lost parents and siblings on the way. But thanks to a committed staff and a creative approach to education, the Bialik Rogozin School is widely recognized as great success despite the challenges they face. It is a place of hope where nearly 1,200 kids come together each day to play and learn.

"We are very excited to add baseball to the list of activities we offer the kids," says Eli Nechama, principle of Bialik Rogozin. Ophir Katz, Israel National Team player and professional educator, will run the baseball program at Rogozin. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to teach the kids about baseball and give them an athletic opportunity they otherwise would not have," Ophir says.  The program was established in memory of Rabbi Paul Laderman z"l, father of Zev Laderman, who is a father of a player in Tel Aviv. "My father was a loving humanitarian all his life, so this project is the perfect fit," says Zev. "He loved baseball and was very proud that his grandson played baseball in Israel among the diverse communities here. In his memory we are helping to spread baseball to all communities in Israel."