April 16, 2025

BASEBALLIYAH: CLASS OF ’25

By Becca Weinberg

There was a noticeable shift in the dusty grass lining Israel’s first baseball field on Kibbutz Gezer when four members of the Israeli National Baseball Team arrived to instruct a group of young hopefuls. A circle of kneeling players and coaches surrounded the infield to receive instruction before embarking on a unique training experience of new drills, scrimmages and strategy sessions.The limited opportunities in one of the country’s least popular sports has led to challenges in development, but the four newest National Team athletes were on a mission to promote the future of baseball in Israel. And the smiles, hugs and high fives showed them their impact was much bigger than just the instruction. 

Shawn Goosenberg, Aaron Mishoulam, Jason Agresti and Chase Engelhard arrived in Israel on January 30th to complete the process of making Aliyah, which is necessary to play for Israel’s National Baseball Team. A longtime dream for some and an unknown possibility for others, the group of Jewish Americans united over their shared passions for both Israel and baseball, and embarked on a two-week journey to share their love of the game with hundreds of Israeli baseball players. 

The field at Kibbutz Gezer was built by American immigrants in the early 1970s, seeking out a home for the sport in the Promised Land, and set the stage for hundreds of young Israelis to play baseball and pursue everything the game has to offer. When the four new Olim arrived last winter, they hoped to help to grow the National Team, cultivate the next generation of young Israeli players and reinforce the foundation that had already been laid.

“Growing up in a Jewish household, it seemed like a no-brainer given the opportunity,” said Mishoulam of his decision to make Aliyah. “One, just the baseball aspect, but two, just to connect with those roots that have been ingrained in my upbringing. It really seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Agresti agreed, and mentioned the importance of becoming an Israeli citizen for reasons other than playing baseball. 

“It was not up for debate at all,” Agresti said. “Once you get there and go through the process, you realize the amazing opportunity that is it from the humanity side. It was an unbelievable chance to be part of something much bigger than I ever thought I’d be a part of.”

Each of the four players stepped off of the plane with different backgrounds and experiences within the sport, yet joined together to produce influential camps and clinics for Israel’s baseball players as representatives of the National Team. 

Goosenberg is a shortstop from California in the Chicago White Sox organization.

Mishoulam is a pitcher from Chicago playing for the Milwaukee Milkmen of the independent American Association.

Agresti is a catcher from New York entering his eighth year of professional baseball currently in the independent Frontier League.

Engelhard, an infielder, is a recent college graduate from Georgia who is participating in the MLB Draft League. 

Hosting clinics in Jerusalem, Ra’anana, Tel Aviv, Modi’in, Kibbutz Gezer, Baptist Village and other surrounding areas, the group met with over half of the country’s young baseball players. Teaching the game’s fundamentals was the main focus of most of their sessions.

“These kids in Israel don’t get a lot of competition throughout the year, and when they do, it’s against the same kids over and over again, so it’s hard to get better when you don’t play a lot,” Engelhard said. 

Although they expected to mostly teach at the introductory level, the visiting players were pleasantly surprised with the kids’ level of play.

“They exceeded our expectations,” said Engelhard. 

Through group sessions teaching hitting, fielding, pitching, baserunning and everything in between, participants learned about every aspect of the game.

“We interacted with a huge range of kids and taught them everything from how to throw to tips for approaches in the box, so it was a very wide range,” said Goosenberg. “It was a great opportunity to meet everyone involved with Israel Baseball and know who we’ll be representing.”

Mishoulam noticed the excitement that their instruction produced, and felt the group’s impact on the overall landscape of baseball in Israel.

“Baseball is not nearly the biggest sport in Israel, but it’s growing and the passion is really there,” he said. 

A favorite training session for the players came with the Sportaim, a program for elite athletes in the Israel Defense Force (IDF). While still completing the country’s mandatory service requirements, these elite athletes train to prepare themselves for a professional sports career either in Israel or abroad at the same time. 

“I’ll be playing with a lot of them on the U23 team, so it was nice to get to know some of my teammates before the tournament,” said Engelhard, who will compete in the European Under 23 Championships in August in the Czech Republic. 

Although their days consisted mostly of running clinics, the group still had time to experience Israel’s unique culture through meals and tours of historic sites and process how important it was for each of them to be there. Each player felt a unique sense of pride in coaching Israel’s youth as it was an opportunity to both allow their Jewish identities to come to the fore and feed their love for the game. Community members at every location showed great excitement for the group’s commitment to growing the sport.

“To be a role model for young baseball players, and really be in the starting group of people growing the sport in a country where baseball is still an up and coming sport, it was really cool to be part of the process,” said Goosenberg. “Hopefully I’ll be able to look back in 30 years when there’s thousands of players in Israel, and it will be cool to know that I had a small hand in that.”

For American Jewish players with hopes of competing for Israel’s National Team, there is much more to the experience than simply stepping onto the field. Immersing themselves in the community helped deepen their understanding of who they’re representing.

“It was something I never thought I’d have the platform or opportunity to do,” said Agresti. “I realize the passion these people have and recognize that it’s so much bigger than you or your initial network. They just wanted to show us what their culture is like and really experience it, so it really was bigger than baseball.”

For these four Americans who had known nothing about the Israeli baseball scene, representing the National Team was a meaningful experience that they will carry with them in competition and beyond. 

“To teach those kids, I could do that everyday, forever,” Engelhard said. 

Goosenberg, Mishoulam, Agresti and Engelhard are all expected to be impact players for Team Israel at the 2025 European Championships. Thanks to this experience, each of them will have a much deeper connection to the team when they take the field in September.

“I won’t know 90% of the players I’m going to play with but already feel such a close connection to them because of our shared beliefs, values, and pride,” said Goosenberg. “I’ve never played on a team before that I feel connected to my teammates before I’ve even met them.”

Mishoulam agreed, and was also able to experience the unique bond that comes with playing for Team Israel.

“There’s a drive and motivation that you can tell is present in all of the players,” Mishoulam said. “I’m not sure if it’s bigger than baseball or just generationally that will to keep going and adapt, but I feel like that’s just the culture of the team.”

The future of baseball in Israel is shining brightly after the impactful winter tour, and while the National Team’s newest additions won’t hit the field until later this year, their interactions with the baseball community have already left a strong impression on the country’s baseball scene and will continue to for years to come.