Coach of first ultra-Orthodox delegation heading to the World Capoeira Championships says he never thought his dream of training a team in the haredi community would come true.
Capoeira might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the names Itzik Rivwas, Moishe and Elchanan Kirshberg, and Mickey Chayat, but the four residents of Bnei Brak’s ultra-Orthodox community would surprise you.
The four men, who participate in a capoeira training group in mostly haredi community of Bnei Brak, are members of an ultra-Orthodox delegation that went to the World Capoeira Championship in Brazil, as part of the general Israeli delegation.
"I started training in capoeira 12 years ago," says Elchanan, who coaches a capoeira group in Elad. "I saw an advertisement in a newspaper in Bnei Brak about capoeira lessons. Our parents came from Brazil and they were excited about the martial art being Brazilian, so I decided to give it a try."
Mickey Chayat never imagined that his dream of opening a capoeira group and bringing the values of the sport to the ultra-Orthodox society would come true. "Before we started our training group, capoeira was something that didn't exist in the ultra-Orthodox community, and now many children and youth have joined and had life-changing experiences while participating in the sport."
Source - Ynet/X