TAPPS

We can be justly proud of all the media coverage revolving around a group of Orthodox Jewish students at Houston’s Beren Academy who had decided not to participate in a prestigious basketball competition if it conflicted with the requirements of their faith.

Front Page

Playing For A Higher Authority: The Inside Story Of Beren Hoopsters’ Kiddush Hashem

By Nathan Lewin

On Tuesday, February 28, it was widely reported that the basketball team of Houston’s Robert M. Beren Academy had “forfeited” its place in the semi-finals of the tournament conducted by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) because it would not play on Friday night and Saturday. But a headline in Friday’s New York Times read: “In Reversal, a Jewish School Gets to Play.”

Jewish / US

Boxed Out: No Exceptions for Orthodox School in Texas Scheduled to Play Bball on Shabbat

By Rafi Harkham

The Robert M. Beren Academy has reached the semifinals of its league play, but players and coaches are adamant that they won't play the game, which is scheduled for Friday night. The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools was unmoved by the school's appeal and has replaced Beren with the team it had vanquished to reach the semifinals.