Merrick Bellmore Little League team has amazing run at states

By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com

A 10-and-under baseball team in the Merrick Bellmore Little League had a remarkable run in both local and statewide competition this summer. The squad made its way through Long Island competition before taking a crack at the New York State Little League Championship, played this year in upstate Endicott, near Binghamton.

The Merrick Bellmore Little League comprises around 1,100 kids, Jay Rogoff, a player agent on its board of directors, said. There are roughly 85 players in the 10U division, and 30 were invited to try out for a special team in early May.

Twelve boys were then selected to represent the league on a journey to the state tournament — and then possibly, the Little League World Series, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The 10U age group is the youngest eligible to compete for a chance to play in Williamsport, and they play six-inning games.

The team was coached by Chuck Amato, who is also a player agent for the league, Rogoff and Brandon Raymar, one of the league’s vice presidents. Their sons C.J. Amato, Hunter Rogoff and Ethan Raymar played on the team.

The boys’ first battle took place at a district competition on Long Island, in which

The meeting attracted residents, rabbis and community leaders from both Bellmore and Merrick, as one of the alleged perpetrators of the hateful act is a student at a school in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

Community members who spoke at the meeting made it abundantly clear that acts of hate would not be tolerated in Merrick or Bellmore, and they openly discussed how such incidents could be better prevented in the future.

Rabbi Ira Ebbin, of Congregation Ohav Shalom in Merrick, was joined by rabbinic colleagues from the hamlets’ several synagogues, including Rabbi Shimon Kramer of the Chabad Center for Jewish life, Rabbi Mickey Baum and Cantor Daniel Rosenfeld of Temple Beth Am, Rabbi Joshua Dorsch of the Merrick Jewish Centre, Rabbi Daniel Haramati of Young Israel of Merrick and Rabbi Rishe Groner of Congregation Beth Ohr.

“We are joined together in unity, as one voice,” Rabbi Ebbin said. “Over the last few years, people have been asking us the following question: ‘Rabbi, what can we do to stop antisemitism?’”

The answer, Ebbin said, is not that simple. “Since the beginning of time, as long as Jews have existed, there has always been antisemitism,” he said. “Since the beginning of time, as long as humans have existed, there has always been hatred of others, racism and bigotry. Those who want to spread hate will make us feel violated as they invade our most sacred

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