Team members sign shirts at a practice session days before the World Lacrosse Championship is set to being in Israel. Photo: The Israel Project.

JNS.org – Two teams participating in the World Lacrosse Championship, which kicks off on July 12, warmed up together on Tuesday at the Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem.

In a match put together by The Israel Project, in cooperation with the Israeli Lacrosse Association, players from the USA and Hong Kong practiced on the field and signed shirts for crowds of local children who had come to watch the rare event.

On the other side of the field, Team Israel, which is also participating in the international competition, held a workshop for underprivileged children from the E4E (Educating for Excellence) organization. Assisting in teaching the kids were players from the Youth Team in Sderot, a city near Gaza that has been a continued target of rocket fire from over the border.

Members of the Hong Kong team consult on the Kraft Family Stadium pitch in Jerusalem. Photo: The Israel Project.

“Israel is joining countries across the world in becoming a lacrosse-loving nation,” said Lior Weintraub, vice president and director in Israel for The Israel Project. “The fact that Israel is the first non-English speaking country ever to host the World Lacrosse Tournament, which happens to be the biggest yet with 50 teams and 2,000 athletes participating, is a testament to the country’s flourishing spot in the international community.”

The World Lacrosse Championship will be held from July 12 to July 21 at the Netanya Stadium and Wingate Institute.