Israel’s Youth Judo Champions from Gush Etzion

Young Gush Etzion residents went home with three medals, two gold and one silver at this week’s Israeli Youth Judo Championships in Ra’anana.

The Gush Etzion champion judokas are products of the "Meitav Jerusalem" Association under coaches Dan Fitusi, Yoel Libster, and Ido and Noam Elkayim. The Gush Etzion Foundation is a partner in sponsoring the training of elite athletes from the region.

Boaz Greenwald, an eighth-grade student in the "Carmei Yehuda" middle school from the community of Elazar, and the son of Gush Etzion Regional Council member Yitzhak Greenwald, won gold in the under 50 kg boys division.

Benaya Kuperman from Elazar, a sixth-grade student at the Orot Etzion School, won the gold medal in the under 42 kg boys division.

Neta Hadar also from Elazar, and a tenth-grade student at the Neve Hanna High School, under the auspices of the Or Torah Stone network, won the silver medal in the under 52 kg girls division.

Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Ne'eman, praised the winners and said: “Congratulations to Boaz, Benaya, and Neta. These young judokas brought great pride to Gush Etzion, and to Judea and Samaria. Gush Etzion’s youth are outdoing themselves time and time again as leaders in Israel, and now in judo as well. Congratulations to Dan Fitusi and the entire coaching staff on this achievement.”