NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal sent a heartfelt message to Israeli children who were affected by the recent attack by Hamas, expressing his love for them and speaking in Hebrew.
Shaquille recorded the message for children at Camp Timberlane, a summer camp in Haliburton, Canada, in collaboration with the Israeli organization OneFamily, which runs a program for Israeli youth impacted by terrorism and war.
The video came about when Chen Kraunik, a OneFamily employee and former Israeli basketball player, connected with O’Neal via FaceTime. The organization shared the video on Instagram, but later took it down.
In the video, Shaq greeted the children at Camp Timberlane in Hebrew, expressing his love and best wishes for them. He also shared Hebrew messages like “Shalom” and “Shabbat Shalom.”
According to reports, Camp Timberlane hosted 39 campers and staff from Israel this summer, including children who lost family members in the recent attack. One camper named Niv from Kibbutz Be’eri lost his grandmother and brother in the incident.
Shaquille O’Neal, known for his successful NBA career, has shown interest in Jewish culture and traditions over the years. He has danced at a Jewish wedding, conversed in Hebrew, and even named Sukkot as his favorite Jewish holiday.
In an interview, O’Neal expressed his inclusive beliefs, stating, “Fact is I’m Muslim, I’m Jewish, I’m Buddhist, I’m everybody ‘cause I’m a people person.”